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Heart of Scotland

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BP services, M8 between J4 and J5

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Road: M8
Junction: Between J4 and J5
Operator: BP
Location: Lanarkshire ML7 5TT
Telephone: unknown
Signed from the motorway? Yes
Previous operators: Blue Star, RoadChef
Previous names: Harthill
Services type: Two sites located between junctions, connected by a pedestrian footbridge.

Official website: none

The only services between Glasgow and Edinburgh, Heart of Scotland was re-built by BP in 2006.

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Photo taken by Thomas Nugent, it's used under this Creative Commons licence.

Facilities:

General: unknown
Food/Drink: Wild Bean Café
Shopping: Marks and Spencer Simply Food
Fuel: BP (pump types unknown)
Motel: unknown

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Photos:

Click on a photo to view the full size. If you have one to add, contact me. It's never too late to get your name in the limelight.

	The new bridge being lifted into place in front of an audience of sorts. Photo taken whilst travelling westbound in 2008 by Iain Wells.
	The old and the new: the BP building with that bridge in the background. Photo taken whilst travelling westbound in 2007 by Thomas Nugent. It's used under this Creative Commons licence.

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Trivia:

Heart of Scotland was originally known as Harthill. It was the first service area in Scotland when it opened in 1978, and when RoadChef took over it became one of the dirtiest sites in the country.

In 2006, it was decided that the best move would be to spend 4.1 million GBP completley rebuilding it, giving it a new operator and name in the process. To be honest, if the heart of Scotland really is a 1960s service station I'm worried for the country.

Heart of Scotland is the only services between Glasgow and Edinburgh, and for this reason it doubles-up as a long-distance bus interchange. The bridge between the two sites used to look like something from a 1960s car park, being old and a very dangerous place at night. After much debating the bridge was finally replaced by a modern, state-of-the-art one, which was lifted in to place on the night of the 3rd October by the largest mobile crane in Europe. There is a photos of it above and BBC News has footage of the new bridge being lifted in to place.

The old bridge is now going to be demolished. The services are one of only two in Scotland which are not marked as a recommended truckstop.

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Survey results:

In 2006, Holiday Which? rated the services at 3/5. It is not known whether this was the old building or the new one.

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Parking Prices:

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Alternatives:

• Hamilton RoadChef services on the M74 northbound, 15 miles to the west.
• Happendon Cairn Lodge services on the M74, 32 miles to the west.
• Kinross Moto services on the M90, 37 miles to the east.
• Old Craighill local services on the A1, 31 miles to the east.

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Comments and Reviews:	Showing the most recent responses only: for the full thread and the ability to edit your own posts, you need to view the topic in the forums.
Author: Message: Alan Yeah the Wimpy is sadly long gone but I have found a picture of it. http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/towns/townfirst264.html Yeah someone really needs to come along and build a proper services here, Just like it was before but minus the grotty bits. A glorified petrol station just doesn't cut it! Yeah the Wimpy is sadly long gone but I have found a picture of it. http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/towns/townfirst264.html Yeah someone really needs to come along and build a proper services here, Just like it was before but minus the grotty bits. A glorified petrol station just doesn't cut it! Posted: 02 Dec 2008, 23:20 Anonymous There is no wimpy at this site - that was closed during the rebuild - it was a wimpy drive through onthe west bound side. Anyways the site is filthy. I usually pop in and get a can of juice from time to time and its a shame that it is left to get to the state that it is in. Does no one care about apperances ? The grounds are littered with rubbish and it appears to be full of weeds and unkept. Ive tired to find out who to complain to and not had much luck. The new bridge is being built as we speak, parts are in the east bound side being assembled. M&S food is located in the west bound side and there are no plans to add an M&S to the east bound side. There is no wimpy at this site - that was closed during the rebuild - it was a wimpy drive through onthe west bound side. Anyways the site is filthy. I usually pop in and get a can of juice from time to time and its a shame that it is left to get to the state that it is in. Does no one care about apperances ? The grounds are littered with rubbish and it appears to be full of weeds and unkept. Ive tired to find out who to complain to and not had much luck. The new bridge is being built as we speak, parts are in the east bound side being assembled. M&S food is located in the west bound side and there are no plans to add an M&S to the east bound side. Posted: 05 Sep 2008, 17:27 Johnny Now updated, thanks. Now updated, thanks. Posted: 12 Jul 2008, 16:45 Anonymous These Services also have a Wimpy. These Services also have a Wimpy. Posted: 12 Jul 2008, 14:15 ruggedscot This was one of the worst services in scotland - crap site and poor service - Iwent in one evening and had to say the site was disgusting so was really pleased when they bulldozed it and rebuilt it - its now far superior to what it was like, Although I was in today going west bound and found the windscreen washer faciliteis at the pumps to be empty of water and full of rubbish. Not a good sign. Gavin This was one of the worst services in scotland - crap site and poor service - Iwent in one evening and had to say the site was disgusting so was really pleased when they bulldozed it and rebuilt it - its now far superior to what it was like, Although I was in today going west bound and found the windscreen washer faciliteis at the pumps to be empty of water and full of rubbish. Not a good sign. Gavin Posted: 18 Dec 2005, 20:32 Admin Post your comments and reviews for Heart of Scotland (formerly Harthill) here, or click here to return to the Services List. Post your comments and reviews for Heart of Scotland (formerly Harthill) here, or click [url=http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/services/heart/]here[/url] to return to the Services List. Posted: 26 Nov 2005, 10:48
Showing the most recent responses only: for the full thread and the ability to edit your own posts, you need to view the topic in the forums.

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