HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Salsburgh is a semi-rural former
coal mining Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
village in
greenbelt A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which ...
farmland within the district of
North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire ( sco, North Lanrikshire; gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Tuath) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It als ...
,
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. The closest major towns to the village are
Shotts Shotts is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located almost halfway between Glasgow () and Edinburgh (). The village has a population of about 8,840. A local story has Shotts being named after the legendary giant highwayman Bertra ...
, southeast, and Airdrie northwest. Salsburgh is perhaps best known for the Kirk O' Shott's Church, which sits on a
hillock A hillock or knoll is a small hill,The Free Dictionary
"hillock" entry, retrieved December 18, 2007
...
and is fairly visible as visitors enter the village from the east on the B7066 Whitburn to Newhouse road.


Founding

There has been a community in the area for over 600 years, although the present village dates back to 1729. At that time only a row of four houses existed, named "Muirhall, Girdhimstrait, Merchanthall and Craighead". Craighead was home to a Mr. Young and his wife Sally, and when Young sold some of his land to construct more houses it was decided that it would be named "Sallysburgh". Through time the name was shortened to Salsburgh. Streets around the village are named after significant natives from its past relating to industry, mining, farming and agriculture.


Coal mining


Duntilland

Duntilland Colliery began production in 1896 with a workforce of just under 200. Their main production was specializing in coal types of/in manufacturing, anthracite and steam. It closed in 1951 and was owned and operated by Coltness Iron Co. Ltd.


Fortissat

Fortissat Colliery began production in 1870 with a workforce of just under 300. Their main production was specializing in coal types of/in-house and steam. It closed in 1949 and was owned and operated by Shotts Iron Co. Ltd.


Ardenrigg

Ardenrigg Colliery began production in 1926 with a workforce of just under 300. Their main production was specializing in coal types of/in anthracite. It closed in 1963 and was owned and operated by Ardenrigg Coal Co. Ltd.


Dewshill

Dewshill Collierie began production in 1896. The population of their workforce is not known. Their main production was specializing in coal types of/in anthracite. It closed in 1943 after being redeveloped in 1923 and was owned and operated by Coltness Iron Co. Ltd. The pumping shaft eventually sunk in 1957.


Hirstrigg

Hirstrigg Collierie began production sometime around after 1880 with a work force of between 200 and 300. It is not known what coal type they specialized in. It was originally owned and operated by Hirst Coal Co. Ltd (Glasgow) then latterly became under the ownership of Garscube Coal Co. Ltd (Edinburgh). It closed sometime around the 1940s.


Facilities


Kirk O' Shott's (Shottskirk) Public/Primary School

Kirk O' Shott's is the name of the local school which opened initially in 1700 in a rented building in the southern edge of the old
Shottskirk Shottskirk, more commonly known as Kirk O'Shotts Parish Church, or affectionately "The M8 Church", is a local parish church located in Salsburgh, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, and serves the village of Salsburgh, the town of Shotts and the hamle ...
churchyard; however, it was decided that a new school would be built opposite the church on what is now Newmill Canthill Road. It officially opened in 1799. Due to an increase in school roll the original school was deemed no longer viable. A new school was built to the east end of the village and was opened in August 1912 as Shottskirk Public School, which later reverted to its original roots as Kirk O' Shott's in 1958 as a junior / secondary school. The school celebrated its centenary on 12 August 2012. Kirk O' Shott's remains a public school open to all denominations.


Kirk O' Shott's (Shottskirk) Parish Church

Kirk O' Shott's Parish Church is the name of the local church which serves the parish of Salsburgh, Shotts and surrounding area. The church was formerly a Catholic place of worship under the name St. Catherines, taken from Catherine of Sienna. About 550 years ago Bothwell and Shotts formed one parish which stretched from the Clyde to Linlithgowshire, and from the North to the South Calder. In this large area there were four places of worship, one of which was situated in the middle Bothwellmuir. St. Catherine's Chapel was built in 1450. It was dedicated to "the blessed Virgin and Catherine of Sienna". After the Reformation of 1560, Kirk o’Shotts, otherwise known as
Shottskirk Shottskirk, more commonly known as Kirk O'Shotts Parish Church, or affectionately "The M8 Church", is a local parish church located in Salsburgh, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, and serves the village of Salsburgh, the town of Shotts and the hamle ...
or the affectionately titled "M8 Church", became a Protestant place of worship. The old church of St Catherine's must have suffered many changes and required frequent changes since its foundation, but of these there is no account before 1640. In that year the Presbytery met at Shotts and ordered that the church be repaired and partly rebuilt, but it was more than eight years before the work was completed. The site of the old church is marked by the headstone erected to Samuel Meuros, who was session clerk and school master from 1794 to 1837. He was also Precentor, and it was his wish to be buried where his old desk had stood; thus he lies still at his post. On the back of the stone is the following inscription: "Here stood the Precentor’s desk in the Kirk of Bertram Shotts which was rebuilt and extended in 1642". This stone and the burial ground of the Inglises of Murdoston, which was inside the old church, give a clear idea of the site.


St. Catherine's Well / "Kate's Well"

St. Catherine's Well or "
Kate's Well St. Catherine's Well or Kate's Well is a historical natural spring well of significant interest and sits on holy ground, at the foot of Kirk O' Shott's Parish Church, otherwise known as (Shottskirk) in the village of Salsburgh, North Lanarkshire. ...
" is a natural holy spring well on holy ground at the foot of Kirk O'Shott's Parish Church, otherwise known as Shottskirk, in the village of Salsburgh, North Lanarkshire. The well dates back to the 14th century and derives from the church's former past when it was a Catholic place of worship as St. Catherines Chapel which has origins from Catherine of Sienna. Kate's Well was also the scene of the local legendary giant
Bertram de Shotts Bertram de Shotts is known locally as a legendary giant that roamed the then village of Shotts, Scotland in the 15th Century. Shotts was then a dreary moorland place on the Great Road of the Shire. The road was an important route for tradesmen ca ...
' demise where his head was decapitated as he drank from the well.


Skate park

In November 2019 it was announced that funding would be released for a new
skate park A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, scootering, wheelchairs, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairsets, qua ...
, to be located top end of the King George Fifth park off Bogfoot Road and Reid Street. Work commenced on the skate park in October 2021 and completed in early 2022.


Miner statue

In November 2019 it was also announced along with the new skate park, would be a new miner statue to commemorate the villages rich mining history. The statue location is being narrowed down to one of two locations, the first being the Jubilee Garden next to the community centre or the second being next to one of the village welcome gateways where it would be seen more prominently.


The Transmitters

Salsburgh is the locale of the twin BlackHill Transmitters due to its high position towering above the M8 motorway opposite the church. They can be seen as far as
Bathgate Bathgate ( sco, Bathket or , gd, Both Chèit) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, west of Livingston and adjacent to the M8 motorway. Nearby towns are Armadale, Blackburn, Linlithgow, Livingston, West Calder and Whitburn. Situated south ...
, West Lothian to the east and
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
to the west. The transmitters are quite a prominent feature after dark for miles around, due to the coloured red lights which prevent aircraft from striking the towers. The
Kirk o'Shotts transmitting station The Kirk o' Shotts transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications site at The Hirst which lies just outside the village of Salsburgh which is near the town of Shotts in North Lanarkshire central Scotland. (Kirk o' Shotts means 'Chur ...
is also nearby, which formerly carried a TV service and today carries DAB radio.


Pre-fabricated buildings

Salsburgh was one of the first places in Scotland to have a "pre-fab", a
prefabricated home Prefabricated homes, often referred to as prefab homes or simply prefabs, are specialist dwelling types of prefabricated building, which are manufactured off-site in advance, usually in standard sections that can be easily shipped and assembled. ...
with
corrugated steel Corrugated galvanised iron or steel, colloquially corrugated iron (near universal), wriggly tin (taken from UK military slang), pailing (in Caribbean English), corrugated sheet metal (in North America) and occasionally abbreviated CGI is a b ...
walls built. The first pre-fab in the UK was built in the village in 1945.


Schools and nurseries

*Kirk O' Shott's Primary School (public, non-denominational) *Rowantree Nursery / Kirk O' Shott's Nursery


Places of worship

*Kirk O' Shott's Parish Church (Protestant) *Sacred Heart R.C Chapel (Catholic) *Salsburgh Gospel Hall (Christian)


Geography


Climate

Salsburgh has an
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Cfb''). STV have reported several times from the village, most notably in relation to extreme weather conditions such as snow. Salsburgh also has a MET office weather Observation Station: (Lat: 55.8667 , Long: -3.8667).


Homes

Throughout the years there have been a variety of mixed styles of properties in the village, beginning with prefabs (prefabricated structures with tin roofs) which were then replaced with more substantial council authority brick-built homes. The village today consists of detached, semi-detached, terraced, bungalows, cottages, miners' row cottages (most of which are council authority and/or privately owned former local authority properties) and also fully renovated former derelict properties and new builds such as Salsburgh Meadows and the new builds situated in sections of Main Street. The mix of old (miners' rows) and new (Salsburgh Meadows) makes the village quaint and gives it a certain charm retaining the old buildings from years gone by. Salsburgh is one of the only places in North Lanarkshire that does not have a gas main, as it was not cost effective when the pipes were being laid. Services are provided independently by oil/LPG and coal suppliers. Most street names within the village have some significance to the village's history and/or former residents.


Landmarks

* Kirk O' Shott's Parish Church: 'The M8 Church' * Blackhill Transmitters Other landmarks include the footbridge which crosses the B7066 main road, which was struck by a careless crane driver in 2009. It was rebuilt and reopened in 2014.


Population

The
2001 United Kingdom census A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194. The 2001 UK census was organised by the Office for National ...
recorded a population of 1310. It was estimated as of 2018 that the village currently is populated by 1370 residents.


Nearby towns and villages

* Airdrie * Allanton *
Bellshill Bellshill (pronounced "Bells hill") is a town in North Lanarkshire in Scotland, southeast of Glasgow city centre and west of Edinburgh. Other nearby localities are Motherwell to the south, Hamilton to the southwest, Viewpark to the w ...
* Dewshill * Forrestfield * Harthill *
Hartwood Hartwood ( sco, Hertwid, gd, Coille an Daimh) is a village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Nearby settlements include Shotts, Allanton and Bonkle. The area is rural, with fewer than 50 houses. Transport is provided at Hartwood railway stati ...
*
Holytown Holytown ( sco, 'Holy-Town' - Holytown, gd, Baile a' Chuilinn)
*
Mossend Mossend is a small town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, located on the A775 road to the immediate east of its 'sister town' Bellshill, west of the villages of Holytown and New Stevenston, north of the larger town of Motherwell and south of the E ...
*
Motherwell Motherwell ( sco, Mitherwall, gd, Tobar na Màthar) is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Historically in the parish of Dalziel and part of Lana ...
* Newhouse *
Newmains Newmains is a village and former mining community on the eastern edge of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, south-east of Glasgow. Although it is considered by the local authority to have a town centre in its own right. History The story of a ...
*
Shotts Shotts is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located almost halfway between Glasgow () and Edinburgh (). The village has a population of about 8,840. A local story has Shotts being named after the legendary giant highwayman Bertra ...
* Shottsburn *
Wishaw Wishaw ( sco, Wishae or Wisha ; gd, Camas Neachdain) is a large town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the edge of the Clyde Valley, south-east of Glasgow city centre. The Burgh of Wishaw was formed in 1855 within Lanarkshire. it form ...


Government and local groups

As of May 2022, the candidates elected to serve in Ward 13 Fortissat are: *Margaret Hughes,
Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from th ...
(SNP) *John Jo Leckie,
British Unionist Party The British Unionist Party (BUP) is a Scottish unionist political party founded in December 2015 as A Better Britain – Unionist Party by activists from the Better Together campaign against Scottish independence. Unlike the mainstream unionist ...
*Martin McCulloch,
Scottish Labour Party Scottish Labour ( gd, Pàrtaidh Làbarach na h-Alba, sco, Scots Labour Pairty; officially the Scottish Labour Party) is a social democratic political party in Scotland. It is an autonomous section of the UK Labour Party. From their peak of ...
*Kenneth Stevenson, Scottish Labour Party Local provost: *Jean Jones Deputy Provost: *Tom Castles The local MP is Anum Qaisar-Javed (SNP). The local Constituency MSP is Neil Gray (SNP). The Central Scotland regional MSPs for North Lanarkshire are: *
Meghan Gallacher Meghan Gallacher (born 17 January 1992) is a British politician who has served as Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservatives since 2022. She has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Central Scotland region since 2021. Galla ...
* Mark Griffin *
Stephen Kerr Stephen Charles Kerr (born 26 September 1960) is a Scottish politician serving as convener of the Education, Children and Young People Committee since 2021. A member of the Scottish Conservatives, he has been a Member of the Scottish Parliamen ...
*
Monica Lennon Monica Lennon (' Ward; born 7 January 1981) is a Scottish politician who has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Central Scotland region since 2016. A member of the Scottish Labour Party, she has served in various roles ...
*
Richard Leonard Richard Leonard (born January 1962) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2017 to 2021. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), as one of the additional members for the Central Scotland ...
*
Gillian Mackay Gillian Audrey Mackay (born 1991) is a Scottish Green politician who has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Central Scotland region since the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. She is the first Green MSP ever to be ele ...
* Graham Simpson


Local groups

There are several local groups in the village which have been set up to provide a service to the community. Community Council provide information pertaining to planning, local interest surrounding the village and further awareness of events in the village.


Notable natives

*
Bertram de Shotts Bertram de Shotts is known locally as a legendary giant that roamed the then village of Shotts, Scotland in the 15th Century. Shotts was then a dreary moorland place on the Great Road of the Shire. The road was an important route for tradesmen ca ...
was a legendary giant who was said to roam the village of Shotts, and outlying village of Salsburgh * Jamie Dolan (born 22 February 1969 in Salsburgh – 31 August 2008) was a Scottish professional footballer who played for Motherwell, Dundee United, Dunfermline Athletic, Livingston, Forfar Athletic and Partick Thistle * Nat Muir (born 12 March 1958) is a Scottish retired long-distance runner. He competed at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships on ten occasions in the 1970s and 80s. * Derek Whiteford (born 13 May 1947 in Salsburgh) was a Scottish football player and manager. * Michelle Nangle, known professionally as Shelly Mack, is a children's book author.


References


External links


Salsburgh Facebook groupSalsburgh Heritage GroupSalsburgh Community Council

Friends of Kirk O'Shotts School

Kirk O' Shott's Parish Church official siteVideo footage of the Fortissat or Covenanters' Stone
{{authority control Villages in North Lanarkshire Populated places established in 1729 1729 establishments in Scotland Mining communities in Scotland