A southern district of Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, Gowkthrapple lies a half-mile (1 km) northwest of Overtown and a mile (1.5 km) south of Wishaw town centre. Formerly an industrial area, associated with the Pather Iron and Steel Works and then Smith's clock factory, which opened in 1951. This closed in the 1970s, although the premises remain standing on Smith Avenue and have been reused as Garrion Business Park.
Now predominantly a residential area, small in size but large in population, it is dominated by immense public-housing blocks which were built in the 1970s. The area has subsequently been associated with social problems. In 2006 some properties were selectively demolished and replaced by private homes intended to give the area a better mix of housing, while existing properties have been refurbished. The population was recorded as 1205 in 2011.
Gowkthrapple has a community centre, built in 1979, and Castlehill Primary School is located in Birkshaw Brae. The Clyde Valley High School lies a quarter-mile (0.5 km) to the southeast.
