function loadmap(){

    if (GBrowserIsCompatible()) {    
      // arrays to hold copies of the markers used by the side_bar
      // because the function closure trick doesnt work there
      var gmarkers = [];
      var gicons=[];
   		gicons["large"] = new GIcon(G_DEFAULT_ICON, "/static/images/defaultmarker.png");
   		gicons["large"].iconSize = new GSize(48, 50);
		gicons["large"].shadowSize = new GSize(0, 0);
		gicons["large"].iconAnchor = new GPoint(24, 49);
		gicons["large"].infoWindowAnchor = new GPoint(24, 5);
		gicons["large"].imageMap = [0,0,0,49,47,49,47,0];


   		gicons["small"] = new GIcon(G_DEFAULT_ICON, "/static/images/smallmarker.png");
   		gicons["small"].iconSize = new GSize(30, 31);
		gicons["small"].shadowSize = new GSize(0, 0);
		gicons["small"].iconAnchor = new GPoint(15, 30);
		gicons["small"].infoWindowAnchor = new GPoint(15, 5);
		gicons["small"].imageMap = [0,0,0,30,29,30,29,0];
		
		gicons["you"] = new GIcon(G_DEFAULT_ICON, "/static/images/youmarker.png");
   		gicons["you"].iconSize = new GSize(48, 50);
		gicons["you"].shadowSize = new GSize(0, 0);
		gicons["you"].iconAnchor = new GPoint(24, 49);
		gicons["you"].infoWindowAnchor = new GPoint(24, 5);
		gicons["you"].imageMap = [0,0,0,49,47,49,47,0];

      // A function to create the marker and set up the event window
      function createMarker(point,name,html,iconimage) {
        var marker = new GMarker(point, gicons[iconimage]);
        GEvent.addListener(marker, "click", function() {
          	marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html);
       	});
        // save the info we need to use later for the side_bar
        gmarkers.push(marker);
        return marker;
      }


      // This function picks up the click and opens the corresponding info window
      function myclick(i) {
        GEvent.trigger(gmarkers[i], "click");
      }


      // create the map
      		var map = new GMap2(document.getElementById("map"));
      		var clusterer = new Clusterer(map);
      		clusterer.SetMaxVisibleMarkers('100');
      		clusterer.SetMinMarkersPerCluster('3');
      		clusterer.SetMaxLinesPerInfoBox('2');
			map.addControl(new GSmallMapControl());
			map.addControl(new GMapTypeControl(1));
			map.setCenter(new GLatLng(55.9508818512,-3.2136726379),15);      		map.enableDoubleClickZoom();
			map.enableScrollWheelZoom();
			
		



      // Read the data from XML
      GDownloadUrl("/ajax/gm_xml.php?id=238&showme=", function(doc) {
        var xmlDoc = GXml.parse(doc);

        var markers = xmlDoc.documentElement.getElementsByTagName("marker");
          
        for (var i = 0; i < markers.length; i++) {
          // obtain the attribues of each marker
          var openmarker;
          var lat = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lat"));
          var lng = parseFloat(markers[i].getAttribute("lng"));
          var point = new GLatLng(lat,lng);
          var html = markers[i].getAttribute("html");
          var label = markers[i].getAttribute("label");
          var iconimage = markers[i].getAttribute("icon");
          var openmarker = markers[i].getAttribute("openmarker");
          // create the marker
          var marker = createMarker(point,label,html,iconimage);
          clusterer.AddMarker(marker,'City Car Club');
          if(openmarker == 'true'){
          		marker.openInfoWindowHtml(html);
      		}
        }
         	       
        
      });
    }

    else {
      alert("Sorry, your browser does not support google maps :-(");
    }
}