Airdrie (; ; ) is a town in
North Lanarkshire,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. It lies on a
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...
400 ft (130 m) above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
, 12 miles (19 km) east of
Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
. , it had a population of 37,130.
Airdrie developed as a market town in the late 17th century following an act of Parliament allowing it to hold a weekly market. It later grew in prominence as a centre for weaving and manufacturing, as well as being the settlement near several coalmines. In the mid 19th century, the town expanded greatly as a result of immigration and the development of iron works and railway links. The first public library in Scotland was established in Airdrie in 1853.
During the 20th century, industrial decline took place in Airdrie, with heavy industry closing down across much of the town. In the 21st century, Airdrie has continued as a regional centre for services and retail, as well as being a commuter settlement within the
Central Belt.
Historically part of
Lanarkshire, Airdrie forms a conurbation with its neighbour
Coatbridge, in what was formerly the
Monklands district, with a population of approximately 90,000.
Name
Airdrie's name first appeared in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland (
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
: ''Registrum Magni Sigilii Regum Scotorum'') in 1373 as 'Ardre'. By 1546 it had become 'Ardry' and by 1587 it was known as 'Ardrie'. In 1630 it finally appeared in the Register as 'Airdrie'. Given the topography of the area, the most likely interpretation is that the name derives from the Gaelic ''An Àrd Ruigh'' meaning 'a level height' or 'high pasture land'. Another possibility is from the Gaelic ''An Àrd Àirighe'' meaning 'a
sheiling, a summer pasture/shepherd's hut'. A third possibility is the Gaelic ''Ard Reidh'' meaning 'a high plain'. A further, non-Gaelic alternative is the
Brythonic, i.e.
Cumbric
Cumbric is an extinct Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup spoken during the Early Middle Ages in the ''Hen Ogledd'' or "Old North", in Northern England and the southern Scottish Lowlands. It was closely related to Old Welsh and the ot ...
or North
Welsh, ''ard tref'' (becoming ardre by process of assimilation), meaning 'a high steading or farmstead', which would date back to the times of the
Kingdom of Strathclyde
Strathclyde (, "valley of the River Clyde, Clyde"), also known as Cumbria, was a Celtic Britons, Brittonic kingdom in northern Britain during the Scotland in the Middle Ages, Middle Ages. It comprised parts of what is now southern Scotland an ...
, before the expansion of Gaelic or English speech into the region.
Airthrey Castle in Stirlingshire may have a similar derivation.
History
Early history
There is no evidence to support the claim (
George Chalmers, Caledonia) that Airdrie is the site of the ancient
battle of Arderyth. Under the patronage of King
Malcolm IV of Scotland
Malcolm IV (; ), nicknamed Virgo, "the Maiden" (between 23 April and 24 May 1141 – 9 December 1165) was King of Scotland from 1153 until his death. He was the eldest son of Henry, Earl of Huntingdon and Northumbria (died 1152) and Ada de War ...
Cistercian monks established an abbey at
Melrose in 1136. Five years later a daughter house was founded at
Newbattle Abbey in Lothian. In 1160, Malcolm granted lands in central Scotland to the monks of Newbattle. These became known as the "Munklands" (Register of the Great Seal 1323).
Malcolm's Charter constitutes the oldest documentary record of place-names in the Monklands. The area of land granted by the Charter is clearly defined by direct reference to geographical and topographical features thus: ''Dunpeldre by its right boundaries, namely with Metheraugh and Mayeuth and Clarnephin as far as Dunduffes in the east.'' The name ''Dunpeldre'' is found in the modern name Drumpellier, ''Metheraugh'' is Medrox; ''Mayeuth'' is Myvot and ''Clarnephin'' refers to the
North Calder Water in the east of the parish (from old Brittonic name ''claur n afon'' meaning plain of the river). ''Dunduffes'' has become directly translated into the modern
Black Hill which, as the Charter states, lies at the eastern extremity of the parish. The Charter does not mention anything resembling Airdrie, although this is where Airdrie is located.
Airdrie owes its existence to its location on the 'Hogs Back' – a ridge of land running from east to west. One very important aspect of the town's history was the
Cistercian
The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
monks of
Newbattle Abbey, which is why the area is called the Monklands. The monks were farmers and some of their place names survive, e.g., Ryefield and Whifflet (the wheat flats). Much of the land they used is known today as 'The Four Isles' (a housing estate named after four Scottish islands):
Mull,
Islay
Islay ( ; , ) is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Known as "The Queen of the Hebrides", it lies in Argyll and Bute just south west of Jura, Scotland, Jura and around north of the Northern Irish coast. The island's cap ...
,
Iona and
Luing
Luing ( ; ) is one of the Slate Islands, Scotland, Slate Islands, Firth of Lorn, in the west of Argyll in Scotland, about south of Oban. The island has an area of and is bounded by several small skerries and islets. It has a population of aroun ...
in the Petersburn area of modern Airdrie. The
monk
A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
s of Newbattle had numerous establishments throughout the area including a
farm
A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...
grange at Drumpellier, Coatbridge, a court house at
Kipps, a
chapel
A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...
in the area of Chapelhall and a number of corn
mills. The Monks were also expert in the construction of roads. In the 12th century, they established the original Glasgow to
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
road via Airdrie and
Bathgate
Bathgate ( or , ) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, west of Livingston, Scotland, Livingston and adjacent to the M8 motorway (Scotland), M8 motorway. Nearby towns are Linlithgow, Livingston, and West Calder. A number of villages fall under ...
, to link up with their lands in Newbattle in
East Lothian
East Lothian (; ; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a Counties of Scotland, historic county, registration county and Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921.
In ...
.

Definitive evidence of the existence of Airdrie as a tenantry was only made clear in 1503. The old monks' road was via Cliftonhill (an area now in neighbouring Coatbridge), Airdrie House (now the site of
Monklands Hospital), Aitchison Street, High Street, Hallcraig Street, Flowerhill Street and Colliertree Road. The first houses in Airdrie were built along this road. Development was slow and it was only around 1650 that evidence of the number of
inhabitants was known at around 500 for the Airdrie area. A large contingent of Airdrieonians fought at the
Battle of Bothwell Brig during the Covenanter Rebellion of 1679; their banner can still be viewed at the local library.
A significant event in Airdrie's history was the 1695 passing of a special act of Parliament, the '' (c. 94)
in the Scottish Parliament allowing Robert Hamilton of Airdrie to hold four fairs yearly and a weekly market in the town of 'Airdry'. This helped develop Airdrie from a 'farm town' into a thriving 'market town'.
However, Airdrie really came to prominence through its
weaving
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...
industry. Airdrie Weavers Society was founded in 1781 and
flax
Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. In 2022, France produced 75% of t ...
was being grown in sixteen farms in and around the
burgh
A burgh ( ) is an Autonomy, autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots language, Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I of Scotland, King David I created ...
. In the last decade of the eighteenth century,
coal mining
Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...
was in progress and around thirty
colliers were employed. Weaving continued to flourish making up a substantial part of the population of over 2,500 around the turn of the 19th century.
Given its large number of weavers, its geographic location and a large number of unemployed soldiers following the end of the
Napoleonic Wars
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Napoleonic Wars
, partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
, image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg
, caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...
, Airdrie became a major centre of support for the
Radical War of 1820. The rapid pace of population growth continued and by 1821 there were 4,862 inhabitants. At this time, the number of houses being built increased dramatically and in 1821, by a local
act of Parliament, the (
1 & 2 Geo. 4. c. lx), Airdrie became a free and independent
burgh of barony.
In 1821, the first election of a town council took place and by August it had appointed an assessor,
procurator fiscal
A procurator fiscal (pl. ''procurators fiscal''), sometimes called PF or fiscal (), is a public prosecutor in Scotland, who has the power to impose fiscal fines. They investigate all sudden and suspicious deaths in Scotland (similar to a corone ...
, master of police and a
town crier. Anyone who had paid their 3
guineas
The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...
was allowed to vote; there is even a record of a John Mackay voting despite being under 10 years old.
In 1824, it was decided to build the
Airdrie Town House, originally designed by Alexander Baird and now a local landmark known as the 'town clock'.
In 1832, the Town House was used as a hospital due to the
cholera
Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...
outbreak of this year.
[
]
1850 to 1920
The enormous growth in population was not due to high birthrate, but instead due to an influx of residents from the Highlands and predominantly Ireland. This followed the Highland potato famine
The Highland Potato Famine () was a period of 19th-century Scottish Highland history (1846 to roughly 1856) over which the agricultural communities of the Hebrides and the western Scottish Highlands () saw their potato crop (upon which they ha ...
of the mid-1840s and also reflected the change from cottage industry to heavy industry
Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...
in the area. Most of the Irish immigrant population were involved with mining
Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...
and labouring.
This led to an increase in ironwork foundries around the area. Because of this explosion in industry, railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
links were established starting in 1826. By 1862, the Airdrie and Bathgate Junction Railway provided a direct link to Edinburgh with Airdrie South Station providing the starting point for trains to Glasgow.
In August the Public Libraries Act (Scotland) 1853 was passed, and in November Airdrie Public Library became the first in Scotland.
The dramatic rise in population and industry prompted the need for more accessible water supplies. Until the mid-1800s, various wells were put in place feeding from surrounding streams in the area. These served to provide many houses with private wells. By 1846 Airdrie and Coatbridge Water Company was founded to construct (along with Forth and Clyde Canal Company) the reservoir at Roughrigg.
Journalism in Airdrie began with "The Airdrie Literary Album" in 1828. Several local newspapers began appearing around this time notably the Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser in 1855, which is still the most popular local paper today. The prison was legalised in 1859 and had 51 cells.
Airdrie Working Men's Club was established in 1869. Also around this time, football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
and cricket
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
began to emerge as popular sports. Following the codification of association football rules a local team called Excelsior was formed in 1878 which would later be renamed Airdrieonians. Horse race meetings were also held in the town (1851–1870) but this land became the golf course for the newly formed Airdrie Golf Club in 1877.
Education
Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
posed a major problem with severe overcrowding in the few schools available, therefore three new school boards were established. In the early 1830s there were about 800 pupils while the town had about 7,000 residents. Fees were routinely charged within the schools with the belief they should be self-supporting until an act of Parliament of 1889 relieved some of the infant classes in schools of this burden. Airdrie Academy was built in 1849 and by 1919 all school boards were dissolved and Lanarkshire Education Authority took over responsibility for education throughout Lanarkshire.
Airdrie Public Observatory, one of only four public observatories in the UK (second oldest and smallest) – all in Scotland, was founded in the first library building in 1896, and is still operated in the present building by the Airdrie Astronomical Association a Scottish astronautic and astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in the cosmos. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and their overall evolution. Objects of interest includ ...
society and registered charity.
By the turn of the 20th century variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp� ...
s were becoming popular in the area and by 1911 the Pavilion in Graham Street was built which after initially being used as a music hall started showing cinematographic pictures. Unfortunately it was destroyed by fire in 1917 but was rebuilt in 1919 and finally closed in 1970. The New Cinema was opened in 1920 in Broomknoll Street but it too has since closed. The town had no suitable venue for larger functions so in 1912 the Sir John Wilson Town Hall was opened (following an offer of £10,000 from Sir John Wilson).
On 9 July 1918 nineteen miners died in the Stanrigg Pit Disaster. The pit was situated in boggy land and collapsed after being saturated by heavy rainfall.
1920 onwards
At the end of the First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Airdrie was hard hit with many casualties from the war. Unemployment reached 30% in the local area. After years of moving from one site to another, the first purpose built library in Airdrie was opened in Anderson Street in 1895. However, this only lasted 30 years until the current Airdrie Library building was erected in 1925.
Conditions in the town did not really improve until well after the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
but in 1949 the Boots
A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...
pharmaceutical company
The pharmaceutical industry is a Medicine, medical industry that discovers, develops, produces, and markets pharmaceutical goods such as medications and medical devices. Medications are then administered to (or Self-medicate, self-administered b ...
and Banner Textiles Ltd were attracted to the town (between them employing 1200). With this impetus, new companies began to consider Airdrie as a viable option for business and in 1958 Pye opened employing over 1000 people. The emergence of industrial estates was also prevalent around this time (Newhouse, Chapelhall, and Brownsburn). The Airdrie Arts Centre opened in 1967 in the former Airdrie Library building, and was a popular venue for concerts and plays, but was closed in 2012 by North Lanarkshire Council.
Between 1964 and 1991, the town was the location of a Royal Observer Corps monitoring bunker, to be used in the event of a nuclear attack. No trace remains today.
The 1970s saw the opening of Monklands Hospital, which replaced an older hospital on the Airdrie House estate. Airdrie hosted the National Mòd in 1993.[List of Mod's places]
for each year on Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (; ) is a public higher education college situated in the Sleat peninsula in the south of the Isle of Skye, Scotland with an associate campus at Bowmore on the island of Islay. Sabhal Mòr is an independent Academic Part ...
website
In the 21st century, the town has continued to grow as a residential settlement, with development and conversion of some town centre buildings, such as the Historic Orrs Department Store into new homes. In 2024, permission was given for a significant expansion of the town, with the creation of up to 3,000 new homes in East Airdrie on former mining land.
Governance
Airdrie is represented by several tiers of elected government. North Lanarkshire Council, the unitary local authority
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state.
Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...
for Airdrie, is based at Motherwell
Motherwell (, ) is a List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Shires of Scotland, Historically in the p ...
, and is the executive, deliberative and legislative
A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...
body responsible for local governance. The Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...
is responsible for devolved matters such as education
Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...
, health
Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...
and justice
In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...
, while reserved matters are dealt with by the Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace ...
.
Westminster
The town forms part of the burgh constituency of Airdrie and Shotts, electing one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...
. In 2005, changes to the constituency boundaries saw part of its area transferred to Motherwell and Wishaw, offset by the addition of part of Hamilton North and Bellshill.
The location has been represented by several prominent Labour MPs in recent years:
* John Smith, MP for North Lanarkshire 1970–1983 and Monklands East 1983–1994 (Eastern Coatbridge and Airdrie area). Former Shadow Chancellor and then leader of the Labour Party until his untimely death in 1994.
* Helen Liddell, MP for Monklands East 1994–1997, Airdrie and Shotts 1997–2005, Secretary of State for Scotland
The secretary of state for Scotland (; ), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Scotland Office. The incum ...
and subsequently Britain's High Commissioner to Australia.
* John Reid, MP for Airdrie and Shotts 2005–2010, a high-profile minister including as the first Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
to be appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The secretary of state for Northern Ireland (; ), also referred to as Northern Ireland Secretary or SoSNI, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with overall responsibility for the Northern Ireland Office. The offi ...
.
The current MP for the constituency is the Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party (SNP; ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic party. The party holds 61 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, and holds 9 out of the 57 Scottish seats in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, ...
's Kenneth Stevenson (politician), Anum Qaisar.
Scottish Parliament
For the purposes of the Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...
, Airdrie forms part of the Airdrie and Shotts (Scottish Parliament constituency), Airdrie and Shotts constituency. This has slightly different boundaries from those of the UK Parliament constituency of the same name. The current Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Airdrie and Shotts (Scottish Parliament constituency), Airdrie and Shotts is Neil Grey MSP (Scottish National Party), who won this seat in 2021.
In addition to this, Airdrie is represented by seven Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions, regional MSPs from the Central Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region), Central Scotland electoral region.
European Parliament
Before Brexit, it was part of the Scotland (European Parliament constituency), Scotland European Parliament constituency.
Local government
Up until 1975, Airdrie had its own Burgh, Burgh Council. Between 1975 and 1996, Airdrie came under Monklands (district), Monklands District Council operating in conjunction with Strathclyde, Strathclyde Regional Council. Monklands District Council was headquartered in the Coatbridge Municipal Building. Many Airdrieonians felt short-changed by MDC's actions and a significant political scandal known as Monklandsgate greatly tarnished the council's reputation. After 1996, it came under the authority of the unitary North Lanarkshire Council. North Lanarkshire has many councillors; currently, the council is in control of the Labour group and the leader of the council is Jim Logue, councillor for Airdrie Central.
Geography
Satellite villages
Chapelhall, Calderbank, Caldercruix, Gartness, North Lanarkshire, Gartness, Glenmavis, Greengairs, Longriggend, Plains, North Lanarkshire, Plains, Stand, North Lanarkshire, Stand, Upperton, North Lanarkshire, Upperton, Newhouse and Wattston are generally considered satellite villages of Airdrie.
Wards
Since the most recent major reorganisation in 2006, North Lanarkshire Council divides Airdrie into the following Wards of the United Kingdom, wards, each electing four councillors since the 2017 North Lanarkshire Council election, 2017 election:
* Ward 7 – Airdrie North (ward), Airdrie North (2019 population 20,137): Glenmavis, Caldercruix, Plains, Burnfoot Airdrie, Burnfoot, Thrashbush, Rochsoles, Holehills, Clarkston, Greengairs, Longriggend
* Ward 8 – Airdrie Central (ward), Airdrie Central (2019 population 16,354): Airdrie Town Centre, Whinhall, Coatdyke, Gartlea, North Cairnhill, Central Park Area, Rawyards
* Ward 11 – Airdrie South (ward), Airdrie South (2019 population 19,934): Craignuek, Petersburn, Moffat Mills, Chapelhall, Calderbank, Brownsburn, South Cairnhill, Gartness
Demography
Historical records of Airdrie's population are available from the 18th, the early decades of the 19th century, and into the early 20th century.
According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census, Airdrie's population of 36,326 was:
*47.31 male, 52.69% female.
*20.7% were under 16, 16.67% were pensioners.
*46.61% were married (first marriage), 29.81% were single.
*95.74% were born in Scotland or described their nationality as Scottish.
*0.42% spoke Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic.
Economy
Overview
As outlined in the history section, Airdrie's traditional economic activities of weaving, coal mining, and heavy industry have ceased to exist. Although the Glenflagler Distillery is now closed, the town still retains a strong involvement in the whisky industry. Airdrie was also home to a Crimpy Crisps factory. Given its location near to Glasgow and other commercial or industrial areas, Airdrie might now be considered something of a commuter town. In fact, housing construction in Airdrie has been very prominent in recent years, with builders developing a number of brownfield sites following the closure of various factories such as Boots (who closed their factory in 2004). Nonetheless, it does retain significant economic activity.
Notable employers
*Albert Bartlett & Sons, a supplier of root vegetables in the UK. The Bartlett brothers, Alan, 52, and Ronnie, 44 are jointly ranked in The Sunday Times Rich List 2008 as the 63rd richest persons in Scotland and the 969th richest persons in the UK with a worth valued at £80 million.
*Inver House Distillers Limited, headquarters and warehousing in Airdrie. Products include Old Pulteney, Balblair, Heather Cream and Coldstream Gin.
*Airdrie Savings Bank was a small commercial bank that operated in the town and around Lanarkshire.
Trading estates
There are two trading estates in the town, Brownsburn Industrial Estate and Osprey Trade Park.
Culture
Places of interest
* Airdrie Public Library
* Airdrie Public Observatory
*Arran View - villa built by Alexander Thomson in 1867.
*Black Hill transmitting station
*Centenary and West End Parks – including the Airdrie war memorial, Cenotaph
*Monkland Canal – where the Vulcan (barge), Vulcan, the world's first iron boat, was constructed and launched in 1819.
*New Monklands Parish Church
*The Wallace Stone – legend tells that William Wallace sharpened his sword on this stone on his way to the Battle of Falkirk.
Organisations
*The Moira Anderson Foundation, a national charity providing support for those affected by childhood sexual abuse
Law
Police
Policing in Airdrie is undertaken by Police Scotland. Airdrie is part of Coatbridge Area Command with Chief Inspector Kenny MacLeod as the Area Commander. Airdrie also forms part of NA (or Monklands) sub division which includes Coatbridge and the surrounding area. There is one police office in Airdrie and this is open 24 hours.
Sheriff Court
Airdrie Sheriff Court is a modern building in Graham Street which provides a comprehensive local court service for the area including civil actions and criminal cases. It is administered by the Scottish Court Service and part of the South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway Sheriffdom headed by a Sheriff Principal. It replaced the old County Buildings, Airdrie, County Buildings in Bank Street which was demolished in 1969.
Other
*The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, responsible for the prosecution of crime in Scotland, maintains an office in the town directly opposite the Court.
Religion
Christian
Church of Scotland – Airdrie's Church of Scotland churches are part of the Presbyterian polity, Presbytery of Hamilton.
*Cairnlea Church - formed by the amalgamation of Broomknoll Church and Flowerhill Church in 2016 and housed in the former Flowerhill building (1875)
*Clarkston Church (1837)
*High Church
*Jackson Church
*New Monkland Parish Church (bef. 1698) – In nearby Glenmavis.
*New Wellwynd (1834)
*St Columba's Church
Roman Catholicism in Scotland, Roman Catholic Church – Airdrie's Roman Catholic churches are immediately governed by the Diocese of Motherwell, currently led by Bishop Joseph Toal. The Bishops' Conference of Scotland (effectively the Church's headquarters in Scotland) is situated in Airdrie.
*St Andrew's Church (Whinhall)
*St Edward's Church (Gartlea)
*St Margaret's Church (Airdrie centre)
*St Serf's Church (Rawyards)
Congregational church, Congregational Church – Airdrie's Congregational churches are associated with the Congregational Federation.
*Coatdyke Church
*Ebenezer Church (Broomknoll Street) (1882)
*Pilgrim Church
Other
*Airdrie Baptist Church (1843) – part of the Baptist Union of Scotland.
*Airdrie Islamic Centre (mosque) – part of the UK Islamic Mission.
*Airdrie Park – part of the United Reformed Church.
*Airdrie Reformed Presbyterian Church – part of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland, which is largely headquartered in Airdrie.
*The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints Chapel
*Ebenezer Church (Aitchison Street) – Evangelicalism, Evangelical Church – Airdrie's Evangelical churches are Plymouth Brethren, Brethren and associated with the Evangelical Alliance.
*Jehovah's Witnesses' Kingdom Hall
*The Salvation Army, Airdrie Corps
*St Andrew's Hospice – operated by the Sisters of Charity.
*St Paul & St John the Baptist – part of the Scottish Episcopal Church, governed by the Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway.
Transport
Airdrie railway station is on the electrified North Clyde Line. This railway provides a frequent train service to Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
via and . In 2010, the Airdrie–Bathgate rail link re-opened providing Airdrie with a direct commuter train service to , and . Drumgelloch railway station serves the eastern end of the town. Including the satellite village of Caldercruix, Airdrie is served by four stations; , , , and , on the border of Airdrie and Coatbridge.
Airdrie has road links to Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
, Livingston, West Lothian, Livingston, Motherwell, and Cumbernauld and is situated close to the M8 motorway (Scotland), M8 motorway. Bus services are largely undertaken by local operators, and links to Glasgow are provided by First Glasgow and McGill's Bus Services, McGills. McGill's took over most of the local companies in 2016 to form its 'Monklands' network in Go Zone 8. The services link all the local neighbourhoods with longer distance services e.g. the 212 from Coatbridge - Caldercruix via Airdrie and Plains, or the 247 from Monklands Hospital - Kirkintilloch via Airdrie, Glenmavis, Cumbernauld and Blackwood.
Airdrie is connected to the UK National Cycle Network by National Cycle Route 75. This route provides a path between Glasgow and Edinburgh. According to the Sustrans website: "there is currently a gap in the National Cycle Network route at Devol Glen, Port Glasgow." Other than the Sustrans path, there are no cycle lanes in Airdrie.
Historical transport links include:-
*Monkland Canal, 1794, commenced by James Watt
*Airdrie and Coatbridge Tramways
*Ballochney Railway, 1828
*Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway, 1826
*Slamannan Railway
*Monkland Railways, formed in 1848 by the merger of the aforesaid local "coal railways".
*Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway
*North British Railway
*Caledonian Railway
*London and North Eastern Railway (LNER)
*London, Midland and Scottish Railway
*British Railways/British Rail - Scottish Region of British Railways
Healthcare
Airdrie is home to Monklands Hospital, Monklands District General Hospital with a 24-hour Emergency department, Accident & Emergency department.
Adjacent to Monklands Hospital is Maggie's Lanarkshire, part of the Maggie's Centres cancer support charity.
Education
The following are the secondary schools, all of which are run by North Lanarkshire Council:
* Airdrie Academy – Non-denominational, co-educational, comprehensive school
*Caldervale High – Non-denominational, co-educational, comprehensive school
*St Margaret's High – Roman Catholic, co-educational, comprehensive school
International relations
Airdrie is sister city, twinned with:
* Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands
* Füssen, Bavaria, Germany
Sport
*Angling - Airdrie is a popular destination for anglers from across the Central Belt, due to its lochs and reservoirs. These include: Airdrie & District Angling Club based at Hillend Loch.
*Athletics - Airdrie Harriers, one of North Lanarkshire's athletics clubs.
*Football - 
The town's major football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club is Airdrieonians F.C., who play in the Scottish Championship, and are based at the Excelsior Stadium. They were formed as a replacement for the original Airdrieonians, who folded in May 2002.
*Golf - Airdrie Golf Club was established in 1877. It is a wooded parkland par 69 course with tight fairways and well-protected greens.
*Motor sport - The Monklands Sporting Car Club runs its events at the Forrestburn Hillclimb situated about 5 miles east of Airdrie.
*Rugby union - Airdrie was home to its own rugby union team called Waysiders RFC. This team was amalgamated to form Waysiders Drumpellier RFC which currently play out of Drumpellier RFC's traditional home ground in Langloan, Coatbridge.
*Sailing - The Monklands Sailing Club is based at Hillend Loch by Caldercruix.
*Tennis - Springwells Lawn Tennis Club. A member of the West of Scotland District and LTA County, divisions of Tennis Scotland.
Notable people
*Bill Adam – racing driver
*Ian Aitken (journalist), Ian Aitken - political journalist
*Joe Allen (painter), Joe Allen - painter
*Ian Bannen – actor
*The Big Dish (band), The Big Dish – pop/rock band
*John Carmichael (VC), John Carmichael – soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross
*Reece Clarke – ballet dancer
*John Craig (geologist), John Craig – geologist and lexicographer
*Paul Craig (fighter), Paul Craig - Mixed Martial Artist
*Robert Craig (Medal of Honor), Robert Craig - WWII Medal of Honor recipient
*Leo Cushley – Roman Catholic archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh
*Ryan Dalziel – racing driver
*Anton Danyluk - ''Love Island (2015 TV series), Love Island'' 2019 participant
*Ross Davidson – actor
*Hugh de Largie – Australian politician
*Nathan Evans (Scottish musician), Nathan Evans - singer
*William Whigham Fletcher - biologist
*Emily Gerard – writer, whose works inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula and coined the term Nosferatu
*John Graham, 1st Viscount of Dundee – also known as 'Bluidy Clavers' and 'Bonnie Dundee'. Royalist and Jacobitism, Jacobite soldier
*Walker Hamilton – writer
*Grant Harrold – broadcaster, and former Royal butler to HRH Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall
*Amanda Hendrick – high-fashion model
*Dee Hepburn – actress, best known for her role in Gregory's Girl
*David Keenan – writer, musician
*Jim Lambie – Turner Prize nominated artist.
*David Ross Lauder – soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross
*Jason Leitch - National Clinical Director for Scotland. Dux of Airdrie Academy
*George G. Macfarlane, Sir George G. Macfarlane, engineer, scientific administrator and public servant.
*Alesha MacPhail - murder victim
*John O'Neill (VC), John O'Neill – soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross.
*James Bell Pettigrew - anatomist and naturalist
*William Robinson (swimmer), William Robinson – swimmer, won silver in the Men's 200 metre Breaststroke at the 1908 Summer Olympics, 1908 Olympics in London.
*Jim Traynor – sports broadcaster and journalist.
*Kenny Williams (wrestler), Kenny Williams – Scottish professional wrestler with Insane Championship Wrestling
*Wilson baronets, Sir John Wilson – Baronet (Wilson Baronetcy of Airdrie, which continues today with the 5th Baronet)
Footballers
*John Armstrong (footballer born 1936), John Armstrong
*Barry Bannan
*Dick Black (footballer), Dick Black
*George Brown (footballer born 1928), George Brown
*Jackie Campbell
*Sandy Clark
*Bobby Cumming
*Torrance Gillick
*Dick Hendrie
*Drew Jarvie
*Alan Lawrence – Nicknamed 'Nipper'.
*Brian McClair
*Bob McFarlane (footballer, died 1898), Bob McFarlane
*John McGregor (footballer born 1963), John McGregor
*Ian McMillan (footballer), Ian McMillan
*Robert Main (footballer), Robert Main
*Alan Morton – Nicknamed 'The Wee Blue Devil'.
*Billy Neil (footballer, born 1939), Billy Neil - Olympian
*Ally Roy
*Matthew Scott (footballer, born 1872), Matthew Scott
*Gardner Speirs
*Alexander Thomson (footballer), Sandy Thomson
*James White (Scottish footballer), James White
*Martin Woods
Climate
See also
*List of places in North Lanarkshire
Sources
*Begg, E. and Rich, D. (1991) ''On the Trail of Merlin''.
*Geddes, C.M. (1995) ''Airdrie 300:A Souvenir Brochure''. Motherwell: Monklands Library Services.
*Hutton, G. (1997) ''Lanarkshire's Mining Legacy''. Catrine: Stenlake Publishing.
*McCutcheon, C. (1994) ''Old Airdrie''. Catrine: Stenlake Publishing.
*Moir, H. (2001) ''Airdrie''. Stroud: Tempus Publishing Ltd.
*Scobbie, J.K. (1985) ''Book of Airdrie. Motherwell: Monklands Library Services.
*Wilson, R. (1997) ''Old Airdrie Villages''. Catrine: Stenlake Publishing.
References
External links
Airdrie web page
The Airdrie page (no longer maintained)
* A collection o
from the 1830s onward at National Library of Scotland
{{authority control
Airdrie, North Lanarkshire,
Burghs
Towns in North Lanarkshire