Hamilton Palace Colliery was owned by the Bent Coal Company, which also owned several other pits in Lanarkshire. It was sunk in 1884, a period of expansion in the coal industry in the area. The colliery was sunk on the Duke of Hamilton’s estate, north of Hamilton Palace.
The village associated with the colliery was called Bothwellhaugh, known locally as “The Pailis”. After the colliery closed in May 1959, the housing deteriorated. Eventually, the decision was taken to demolish all the housing, and the site of the village was cleared. It is now marked by a cairn and war memorial (left)