Lanark Racecourse Tote Tower, Hyndford Road, Lanark

2-storey, 3-bay, rectangular-plan Tote tower. Coursed red brick with concrete dressings. Base course, dividing band course; overhanging eaves cornice; projecting cills.

The tower was the first "Robot Bookie" in Scotland, and is thought to be only the second in the United Kingdom after that at Carlisle. A staff of about 220 were required to run the tower, the hand operated indicator boards showing information about 26 runners (although there were usually nine or less runners in a race). Those in the Indicator Room communicated with the subsidiary buildings by telegraph. Originally the indicator board letters were cardboard, however after the first race meeting electric letters were used. The first time the "Robot Bookie" performed the race course was extremely crowded, "ladies were very much in evidence. There was [also] an unusual number of clergymen about the course" (SCRAP BOOK, p362), and over 6000 bets were taken. Although Lanark Racecourse is no longer in use (1999), the Tote Tower is also a reminder of the long history of racing here, which can be traced back as early as the 13th century.(Historic Scotland)

21 October 1999: The Sunday Herald reports that the tower has been B-listed. 28 October 1999: The Lanark Gazette repeats the story. Lanark Racecourse remains in the ownership of the Royal Burgh's Common Good Fund, though racing stopped 2 decades ago. The tower is now derelict. South Lanarkshire Council has welcomed the listing.

February 2008: A member of the public contacts SCT detailing their concerns for the future of this building and adding that they think it was one of the first, if not the first example invented and built by Mr W Garden of Kilsyth founder of Wilson and Garden and adopted by racecourses in many locations. It has been neglected and is of significant historical interest as it used a mechanical method of working out odds and predated the computer age by many years.

April 2009: External inspection finds the building in poor condition and vacant. The building is at risk of slow decay and in need of maintenance. The sign boards on the front elevation are in need of repair.

February 2010: External inspection finds the Tower in relatively good condition, despite being disused and appears unmaintained, for a lengthy period. However, the Tower is decaying slowly.

12 December 2013: External inspection finds the building remains in much the same condition as seen previously.

28 March 2023: South Lanarkshire Council website reports that the wider site of the Racecourse is proposed for change of use, as part of its common good property, to create buildings that can be let to local community organisations as part of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.