Allegations of historic child abuse at an orphanage have been described as “absolute rubbish” by two former residents.

One witness to the Scottish Child Abuse inquiry said he had been “extremely well treated” at Smyllum Park in Lanark.

The man, now in his late-60s, said the nuns who ran the home were being unfairly portrayed as “monsters and out-and-out child beaters”.

A second witness, also in his 60s, said previous evidence given to the inquiry was a “gross distortion of the truth”.

Other witnesses have recounted a catalogue of abuse at Smyllum Park, which was run by the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul and closed in the 1980s. This included beatings, humiliations, cold showers and children being force-fed inedible food.

Yesterday’s first witness, who cannot be named, described his time at Smyllum as “positive”. Asked about violence inflicted by the nuns, he added: “I didn’t see anything like that. There are lots of lies being told.”

The inquiry continues.