Spanish ’Flu in Scotland: A Lanarkshire Case Study

The purpose of this article is to explore the impact that the 1918 influenza pandemic (otherwise known as the ‘Spanish ‘Flu’) had on the Scottish county of Lanarkshire. Despite being one of the most devastating events in modern history, to date little is known about the experience of the disease in Scotland. Structured in two parts, part one of this article will examine the human impact of the Spanish ’Flu within Lanarkshire, while part two focuses on the official responses to the pandemic from both the medical profession and local civic government. In doing so, this article will demonstrate that the Spanish ’Flu generated a high level of mortality amongst the population of Lanarkshire, placed great strain on medical services, and exposed tensions between local and central government at a time of increasing state intervention.