1871: David Colville and Sons was founded and opened the Dalzell Steel and Iron Works in Motherwell the following year.

1915: After securing status as the area’s largest employers, they took over the Clydebridge Steel Company works in Cambuslang.

1967: Harold Wilson announces the nationalisation of private firms which saw Colville fall into the public’s hands as part of the British Steel Corporation.

1988: The British Steel Act was introduced by Margaret Thatcher which saw the reprivatisation of the company. Eleven years later British Steel Corp and Dutch company Koninklijke Hoogovens merged to form Corus Group.

January 2007: Tata Steel, part of the Indian Tata Group, bought over Corus Group and raised $6.17bn of debt through a new subsidiary called ‘Tata Steel UK’.

January 2009: Corus announced 2500 job losses across the UK because of the economic slump at the time, with most of the jobs cut at the plant in Rotherham.

September 2010: Corus changes its name to Tata Steel Europe and two years later announce restructuring proposals which resulted in losing another 900 UK jobs.

October 2014: Tata Steel rumoured to be planning a sale of its Long Products division which included 330 jobs at the Dalzell and Clydebridge plants as well as thousands of other jobs across England.

16th: Almost exactly a year on from that, it emerges Tata are to announce cuts at its Scunthorpe and Scottish steel plants. It was understood between 300 and 400 jobs were at risk.

20th: While the cuts are not as bad as initially feared, 270 jobs are shed at the two steel plants with Dalzell and Clydebridge to be mothballed. (video: A look at the history of steel making in Lanarkshire)

21st: Prime Minister David Cameron met with President Xi Jinping of China to discuss the growing concerns about the UK steel industry, with many blaming the Tata job losses on Chinese steel being dumped into the European market.

22nd: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gives steel workers in Lanarkshire her "absolute guarantee" she will do everything in her power to secure the future of the plants, and agreed the firm would work with a taskforce lead by the Scottish government.

23rd: Tata Steel announce a £9m funding package to support the British economy in the aftermath of the announcement of job losses with £1.5m of that going to the create new jobs in the steel communities of Motherwell and Cambuslang where Dalzell and Clydebridge are housed.

25th: Scottish ministers demand to be represented at EU steel talks with the future of the industry in the country under the threat of extinction.

27th: Business minister Fergus Ewing makes a statement to fellow MSPs saying the Scottish Government’s top priority was to find a new owner for the two plants and allow commercial production to continue.

29th: The taskforce set up to save the two steelworks plants meets for the first time. Involved are representatives from the Scottish Government, Tata Steel representatives, trade unions, North and South Lanarkshire Councils and other local politicians.

4th: Dozens of workers from the Dalzell steel plant travel to the Scottish Parliament to attend a debate on the future of the industry and unveiled a “Save Our Steel” banner.

13th: Consultants to the Scottish Government give a positive report back on a potential future of the industry north of the border. While commercially confidential the findings are made available to any potential investors.

21st: Scots steelworkers and their families join a rally in Sheffield to highlight the crisis in their industry with job losses also announced in areas including Teesside and Scunthorpe.

3rd: Mr Ewing says an “extensive global search” has been carried out to find an alternative operator for the Dalzell and Clydebridge plants with the minimum statutory 45-day consultation period ending the following day.

22nd: Tata Steel beings talks with potential buyer Greybull Capital, an investment firm who signed a letter of intent for the potential purchase of Tata’s long products business.

January 2016

2nd: Support package of £195,000 agreed by ministers to retain key staff that would be paid around 60% of gross salary and receive advanced training to ensure the sites can reopen as soon as production resumes.

14th: Liberty House first comes into the fray by declaring an interest in buying the two plants with talks beginning between the firm, the Scottish Government and the previously touted Greybull Capital.

18th: Tata announce another round of UK cuts with 750 jobs being lost in Wales and another 300 in a number of other plants across England; a move causing “deep concern” for the UK Government.

February 4, 2016: Business rates are slashed at Tata’s tw o plants in the hope of attracting new operators with discussions ongoing between Holyrood and Liberty.

March 23, 2016: Before the ninth meeting of the taskforce it is announced a deal was close with Liberty and had been expected to be finalised within 24 hours.

Nicola Sturgeon said: “The final due diligence on that agreement is taking place at present. The agreement would be facilitated by the Scottish Government and involve us buying the plants and then immediately selling them on to Liberty for the same consideration.”

March 24, 2016: The metal firm's arrangement has been agreed by the Scottish Government, who will buy the Clydebridge and Dalzell plants from Tata Steel, and immediately sell them on to Liberty with no cost to the taxpayer.

Sanjeev Gupta, executive chair of Liberty House Group, said: "This agreement saves two great facilities in Scotland. Now we must turn our attention to restoring these businesses to their former glory, steadily rebuilding their skilled workforces and customer base.

"Clydebridge and Dalzell will fit well into our vision for an integrated, flexible and sustainable steel sector, from recycled local scrap using renewable energy-making green steel to value added downstream and engineered products.

"We're grateful for the support of the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise in enabling us to reach this very positive historic agreement."