Airdrie, North Lanarkshire
Encyclopedia
Airdrie is a town within North Lanarkshire
, Scotland
. It lies on a plateau
roughly 400 ft (130 m) above sea level
, and is approximately 12 miles (19 km) east of Glasgow
city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge
, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006, the town had a population of 36,853. Airdriehill
, Chapelhall
, Calderbank
, Caldercruix
, Glenmavis
, Greengairs
, Longriggend
, Plains
, Stand, Upperton and Wattston
are generally considered satellite villages of Airdrie.
Ward 7 - Airdrie North: Glenmavis, Caldercruix, Plains, Burnfoot, Thrashbush, Rochsoles, Holehills, Clarkston, Greengairs, Longriggend
Ward 8 - Airdrie Central: Airdrie Town Centre, Whinhall, Coatdyke, Gartlea, North Cairnhill, Central Park Area, Rawyards
Ward 11 - Airdrie South: Craignuek, Petersburn, Moffat Mills, Chapelhall, Calderbank, Brownsburn, South Cairnhill, Gartness
, Rydderych
The Bountiful, King of Strathclyde, and Aeddam The Perfidious, the Scoti
King of Kintyre
. While few might have heard of the main protagonists, amongst Aeddam's contingent was the legendary Celtic bard
, Merlin
. The history of Airdrie between the Battle of Arderyth and AD 1162 is unclear, due to the scarcity of written historical records.
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 were the Cistercian monks of Newbattle Abbey
, hence a name for the wider area; Monklands. The monks were farmers and most of the land they used is known today as 'The Four Isles' (a housing estate named after four Scottish islands): Mull
, Islay
, Iona
and Luing
in the Petersburn area of modern Airdrie). The monk
s of Newbattle had numerous establishments throughout the area including a farm
grange at Drumpellier, Coatbridge, a court house at Kipps
, a chapel
in the area of Chapelhall and a number of corn
mills
. The Monks were also expert in the construction
of road
s. In the 12th century they established the original Glasgow to Edinburgh
road via Airdrie and Bathgate
, to link up with their lands in Newbattle in East Lothian
.
In those days travelling was often dangerous. Horses were still very rare and could only be afforded by the rich. Low lying ground was usually extremely difficult to navigate because of the numerous bog
s, forests and burns - not to mention the possibility of ambush
by a footpad
or robber. Hence, it became much more practical to travel on the high ground (the 'High Way') where one could avoid the mud and the robbers. These roads (or rather tracks) became known as the King's Highway.
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. It was along this road that the first houses in Airdrie were built. 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 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
industry. Airdrie Weavers Society was founded in 1781 and flax
was being grown in sixteen farms in and around the burgh
. In the last decade of the eighteenth century, coal mining
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
, 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 private Act of Parliament
, Airdrie became a free and independent Burgh of Barony
. Due to the fact it was 'independent', it had all the powers of a Royal Burgh
.
Voting
in the early part of the nineteenth century was rather hit or miss as not only locals but residents outside the burgh were allowed to vote. In 1821 the first election of a town council took place and by August it had appointed an assessor, procurator fiscal
, master of police and a town crier
.
In 1824 it was decided to build the Town House, which was originally designed by Alexander Baird and is now a local landmark known as the 'town clock'. In 1832 the Town House was used as a hospital due to the cholera
outbreak of this year.
By 1850, the population had grown to 12,418.
and predominantly Ireland
. This followed the Highland potato famine of the mid 1840s and also reflected the change from cottage industry to heavy industry
in the area. Most of the Irish immigrant population were involved with mining
and labouring.
This led to an increase in ironwork foundries
around the area. Because of this explosion in industry, railway
links were soon established (circa 1830) and 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.
Around the mid 1800s, several local newspaper
s began appearing and notably the Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser, which is still the most popular local paper today. Also at this time, football and cricket
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 F.C.
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
posed a major problem with severe overcrowding in the few schools available, therefore three new school boards were established. Fees were routinely charged within the schools with the belief they should be self-supporting until a parliamentary act of 1889 relieved some of the infant classes in schools of this burden. Airdrie Academy
was built in 1895 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
society and registered charity.
By the turn of the century variety show
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 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 a generous offer from Sir John Wilson covering the total cost of £13,500). This still stands and is used for major events in the town.
, Airdrie was hard hit with many casualties from the war. Many inhabitants also chose to emigrate around this time. Consequently the population only rose by 3% to around 26,000 by 1931. The depression
years had made a great impact on the town and several well known manufacturers ceased to exist and few replaced them. It was reported that 50% of the registered population were unemployed
. Church groups tried to provide some comfort for the poor folk in the area and set up educational and work experience projects to help and by 1936 the Airdrie Churches Council had attracted national interest through their work culminating in a building in Graham Street being provided for them (the Mutual Service Club). This is now Airdrie Community Centre.
The current Airdrie Public Library building was eventually constructed on its present site in 1925 after years of moving from one site to another.
Conditions in the town did not really improve until well after the Second World War
but in 1949 the Boots pharmaceutical company 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 remains a popular venue for concerts and plays.
The 1970s saw the opening of Monklands Hospital
, which replaced an older hospital on the Airdrie House estate that had been closed in 1962 and demolished in 1964.
, notably in Chapelhall, Rochsoles and Glenmavis, the former Boots factory site in Rawyards and the former Imperial Tube Works in Cairnhill.
Airdrie also has signage in the Scots Gaelic language around the town centre, (alongside English) this was first introduced for the 1993 Royal National Mod
. The signs were originally erected by Monklands District Council, but have been maintained by North Lanarkshire Council.
http://www.airdriefc.com, who play in the Second Division
of the Scottish Football League
, and are based at the Excelsior Stadium
. They were formed as a replacement for Airdrieonians
, who folded in 2002.
In addition there are a number of teams competing in the various Scottish Amateur Football Association
leagues.
situated about 5 miles east of Airdrie.
They presently play in the West Regional Leagues
Division One (Level five).
.
, the unitary local authority
for Airdrie, is based at Motherwell, and is the executive
, deliberative
and legislative
body responsible for local governance. The Scottish Parliament
is responsible for devolved matters
such as education
, health
and justice
, while reserved matters
are dealt with by the Parliament of the United Kingdom
.
of Airdrie and Shotts
, electing one Member of Parliament
(MP) to the House of Commons. 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
.
Pamela Nash
has been MP for Airdrie and Shotts since the 2010 general election; currently she is also the youngest member of the House of Commons. The location has been represented by several prominent Labour MPs in recent years:
, Airdrie forms part of the Airdrie and Shotts
constituency. This has slightly different boundaries than that of the UK Parliament constituency of the same name. The current member of the Scottish Parliament
for Airdrie and Shotts
is Alex Neil MSP (Scottish National Party
), who won this seat in the 2011 Scottish Parliament from the LAbour Party who had held the seat since the instatement of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.
In addition to this Airdrie is represented by seven regional MSPs
from the Central Scotland electoral region
. They are: Linda Fabiani
(Scottish National Party
, SNP), Jamie Hepburn
(SNP), Christina McKelvie
(SNP), Margaret Mitchell
(Scottish Conservative Party), Alex Neil (SNP), Hugh O'Donnell (Scottish Liberal Democrats
), and John Wilson
(SNP).
. 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
. Currently, the council is in control of the Labour group and the leader of the council is Jim McCabe, councillor for Thorniewood.
. Airdrie is part of N Division which is headquartered in Motherwell
with Chief Superintendent
Graham Cairns responsible for local strategy. 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.
and part of the South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway Sheriffdom
headed by a Sheriff Principal
.
Distillery is now closed the town still retains a strong involvement in the whisky
industry. It is fair to say that, 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 whom closed their factory in 2004. Nonetheless it does retain significant economic activity.
, Airdrie's population of 36,326 was:
Church of Scotland
- Airdrie's Church of Scotland churches are part of the Presbytery of Hamilton
.
Roman Catholic Church
- Airdrie's Roman Cathloic churches are immediately governed by the Diocese of Motherwell
, currently led by Bishop
Joseph Devine
. The Bishops' Conference of Scotland
(effectively the Church's headquarters in Scotland) is situated in Airdrie.
Congregational Church
- Airdrie's Congregational churches are associoated with the Congregational Federation
.
Other
is on the electrified North Clyde Line
. This railway provides a frequent train service to Glasgow
via and . In 2010, the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link
opened providing Airdrie with a direct commuter train service to , and . Drumgelloch railway station
serves the eastern end of the town.
Airdrie has excellent road links to Glasgow
, Edinburgh
, Motherwell
, and Cumbernauld
and is situated close to the M8 motorway. Bus services are largely undertaken by local operators, and links to Glasgow are provided by First Glasgow
.
Airdrie is connected to the UK National Cycle Network
by National Cycle Route 75. This route provides a path between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
is responsible for the healthcare of Airdrie residents. Airdrie is home to Monklands District General Hospital
with a 24-hour Accident & Emergency
department. The hospital has 473 beds and provides a comprehensive service with specialist renal and ENT
departments. Another NHS hospital, Wester Moffat, provides long term care for the elderly. The West Central division of the Scottish Ambulance Service
provides accident and emergency, and patient transport services for the town. Also located in the town is St Andrews's Hospice which is operated by the Sisters of Charity
and partly funded by North Lanarkshire Council. The hospice is a leading palliative care unit in Scotland with a strong emphasis on cancer care. The Parkinson's Self Help Group (North Lanarkshire) is based in the Weavers' Cottages (1780) and provides support for people with Parkinson's disease
. The SVGCA - Houses for Heroes, a charity providing suitable accommodation for permanently disabled armed forces, police and fire service personnel, maintains four houses in the town. In addition there are several medical practices, dental surgeries, nursing homes and opticians throughout Airdrie.
school in Airdrie, all of which are run by North Lanarkshire Council.
It forms a single point of contact for information, advice and support for voluntary and community organisations, their staff and volunteers, and acts as a representative body for the voluntary and community sector. VANL also provides scheduled and bespoke training for staff and volunteers in a wide variety of areas, including finance, funding & sustainability, governance, ICT, employability and personal development.
, Alberta
, Canada
Arnhem
, Netherlands
Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
Salzburg
, Austria
North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It lies on a plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
roughly 400 ft (130 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, and is approximately 12 miles (19 km) east of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge
Coatbridge
Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006, the town had a population of 36,853. Airdriehill
Airdriehill
Airdriehill is a village in the Scottish council area of North Lanarkshire. It is located on a small hill northeast of the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire and west of the village of Plains, North Lanarkshire....
, Chapelhall
Chapelhall
Chapelhall is a village outside the town of Airdrie in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. However, with house building this distinction between Airdrie and Chapelhall is being eroded...
, Calderbank
Calderbank
Calderbank is a village outside the town of Airdrie North Lanarkshire, Scotland, The village lies 13 miles east of Glasgow city centre and around 34 miles west of Edinburgh.Other major towns include Coatbridge 4 miles, Bellshill 4 miles and Motherwell 5 miles.-Etymology:The village's name is of a...
, Caldercruix
Caldercruix
Caldercruix is a semi rural village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.The nearest major town is Airdrie 5 miles away.The village is about 17 miles east of Glasgow and 30 miles west of Edinburgh.Caldercruix developed in the 19th century as the papermaking and mining industries grew...
, Glenmavis
Glenmavis
Glenmavis is a village in the North Lanarkshire area of Scotland. It is situated about 2 miles north-west of Airdrie on the B802 road. The United Kingdom Census 2001 recorded a population of 2286....
, Greengairs
Greengairs
Greengairs is a Small village, just north of airdrie in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Greengairs is a predominantly protestant area with a village flute band, greengairs thistle, and another starting up, Baillieslane core of flutes and drums. The village has a church, a chapel, gospel hall, social...
, Longriggend
Longriggend
Longriggend is a village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, with a population of approximately 200. It is situated on moorland 8km north-east of Airdrie, in the parish of New Monkland. The village appeared on a map by Pont in 1596, under the name of Langrodge, and on another map by Roy c1754...
, Plains
Plains, North Lanarkshire
Plains is a village outside the town of Airdrie, in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about 14 miles east of Glasgow city centre and 32 miles west of Edinburgh. The nearest major towns are and...
, Stand, Upperton and Wattston
Wattston
Wattston is a village on the B803, east of Greengairs in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is around 4 km south of Cumbernauld, and 4 km north of Airdrie. Other places nearby include Airdriehill, Caldercruix, Longriggend, Riggend and Slamannan....
are generally considered satellite villages of Airdrie.
Name
The origin of Airdrie's name is not known for certain; however, given the topography of the area, the most likely interpretation is that it derives from the Gaelic An Àrd Ruigh meaning a level height or high pasture land. Another possibility is that it was taken from the Gaelic An Àrd Àirighe meaning a sheiling or wayside town.Geography
Wards
North Lanarkshire Council divides Airdrie into the following wards and areas:Ward 7 - Airdrie North: Glenmavis, Caldercruix, Plains, Burnfoot, Thrashbush, Rochsoles, Holehills, Clarkston, Greengairs, Longriggend
Ward 8 - Airdrie Central: Airdrie Town Centre, Whinhall, Coatdyke, Gartlea, North Cairnhill, Central Park Area, Rawyards
Ward 11 - Airdrie South: Craignuek, Petersburn, Moffat Mills, Chapelhall, Calderbank, Brownsburn, South Cairnhill, Gartness
Climate
Early history
The history of Airdrie might be dated back to AD 577, which was the year of the Battle of Arderyth However, the historicity and location of the battle are the subject of debate and shrouded in myth. The battle was believed to have been between the GododdinGododdin
The Gododdin were a Brittonic people of north-eastern Britain in the sub-Roman period, the area known as the Hen Ogledd or Old North...
, Rydderych
Riderch I of Alt Clut
Riderch I , commonly known as Riderch or Rhydderch Hael , was a ruler of Alt Clut and the greater region later known as Strathclyde, a Brittonic kingdom that existed on the valley of the River Clyde in Scotland during the British Sub-Roman period...
The Bountiful, King of Strathclyde, and Aeddam The Perfidious, the Scoti
Scoti
Scoti or Scotti was the generic name used by the Romans to describe those who sailed from Ireland to conduct raids on Roman Britain. It was thus synonymous with the modern term Gaels...
King of Kintyre
Kintyre
Kintyre is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The region stretches approximately 30 miles , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south, to East Loch Tarbert in the north...
. While few might have heard of the main protagonists, amongst Aeddam's contingent was the legendary Celtic bard
Bard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
, Merlin
Merlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
. The history of Airdrie between the Battle of Arderyth and AD 1162 is unclear, due to the scarcity of written historical records.
1162 to 1850
Newbattle Abbey
Newbattle Abbey was a Cistercian monastery near the village of Newbattle in Midlothian, Scotland, which has subsequently become a stately home and then an educational institution.-Monastery:...
, hence a name for the wider area; Monklands. The monks were farmers and most of the land they used is known today as 'The Four Isles' (a housing estate named after four Scottish islands): Mull
Isle of Mull
The Isle of Mull or simply Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute....
, Islay
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
, Iona
Iona
Iona is a small island in the Inner Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland. It was a centre of Irish monasticism for four centuries and is today renowned for its tranquility and natural beauty. It is a popular tourist destination and a place for retreats...
and Luing
Luing
Luing is one of the Slate Islands, Firth of Lorn, in the west of Argyll in Scotland, about 16 miles south of Oban. It has a population of around 200 people, mostly living in Cullipool, Toberonochy , and Blackmillbay...
in the Petersburn area of modern Airdrie). The monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s of Newbattle had numerous establishments throughout the area including a farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
grange at Drumpellier, Coatbridge, a court house at Kipps
Kipps
Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul is a novel by H. G. Wells, first published in 1905. Humorous yet sympathetic, this perceptive social novel is generally regarded as a masterpiece, and was the author's own favourite work.-Plot:...
, a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
in the area of Chapelhall and a number of corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
mills
Mill (grinding)
A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
. The Monks were also expert in the construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
of road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
s. In the 12th century they established the original Glasgow to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
road via Airdrie and Bathgate
Bathgate
Bathgate is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, on the M8 motorway west of Livingston. Nearby towns are Blackburn, Armadale, Whitburn, Livingston, and Linlithgow. Edinburgh Airport is away...
, to link up with their lands in Newbattle in East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
.
In those days travelling was often dangerous. Horses were still very rare and could only be afforded by the rich. Low lying ground was usually extremely difficult to navigate because of the numerous bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s, forests and burns - not to mention the possibility of ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
by a footpad
Footpad
A footpad is an archaic term for a robber or thief specializing in pedestrian victims. The term was used widely from the 16th century until the 19th century, but gradually fell out of common use...
or robber. Hence, it became much more practical to travel on the high ground (the 'High Way') where one could avoid the mud and the robbers. These roads (or rather tracks) became known as the King's Highway.
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
Monklands Hospital
Monklands District General Hospital, is a district general hospital in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Administered by NHS Lanarkshire, it serves a population of approximately 260,000 people of North and South Lanarkshire council areas...
), Aitchison Street, High Street, Hallcraig Street, Flowerhill Street and Colliertree Road. It was along this road that the first houses in Airdrie were built. Development was slow and it was only around 1650 that evidence of the number of inhabitants
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
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 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
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
industry. Airdrie Weavers Society was founded in 1781 and flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
was being grown in sixteen farms in and around the burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
. In the last decade of the eighteenth century, coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain 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 iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
was in progress and around thirty colliers
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain 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 iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
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
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, Airdrie became a major centre of support for the Radical War
Radical War
The Radical War, also known as the Scottish Insurrection of 1820, was a week of strikes and unrest, a culmination of Radical demands for reform in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland which had become prominent in the early years of the French Revolution, but had then been repressed...
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 private Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
, Airdrie became a free and independent Burgh of Barony
Burgh of barony
A burgh of barony is a type of Scottish town .They were distinct from royal burghs as the title was granted to a tenant-in-chief, a landowner who held his estates directly from the crown....
. Due to the fact it was 'independent', it had all the powers of a Royal Burgh
Royal burgh
A royal burgh was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished in 1975, the term is still used in many of the former burghs....
.
Voting
Voting
Voting is a method for a group such as a meeting or an electorate to make a decision or express an opinion—often following discussions, debates, or election campaigns. It is often found in democracies and republics.- Reasons for voting :...
in the early part of the nineteenth century was rather hit or miss as not only locals but residents outside the burgh were allowed to vote. In 1821 the first election of a town council took place and by August it had appointed an assessor, procurator fiscal
Procurator Fiscal
A procurator fiscal is a public prosecutor in Scotland. They investigate all sudden and suspicious deaths in Scotland , conduct Fatal Accident Inquiries and handle criminal complaints against the police A procurator fiscal (pl. procurators fiscal) is a public prosecutor in Scotland. They...
, master of police and a town crier
Town crier
A town crier, or bellman, is an officer of the court who makes public pronouncements as required by the court . The crier can also be used to make public announcements in the streets...
.
In 1824 it was decided to build the Town House, which was originally designed by Alexander Baird and is now a local landmark known as the 'town clock'. In 1832 the Town House was used as a hospital due to the cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
outbreak of this year.
By 1850, the population had grown to 12,418.
1850 to 1920
The enormous growth in population was not due to high birthrate, but instead due to an influx of residents from the HighlandsScottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
and predominantly Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. This followed the Highland potato famine of the mid 1840s and also reflected the change from cottage industry to heavy industry
Heavy industry
Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to light industry. It can mean production of products which are either heavy in weight or in the processes leading to their production. In general, it is a popular term used within the name of many Japanese and Korean firms, meaning...
in the area. Most of the Irish immigrant population were involved with mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
and labouring.
This led to an increase in ironwork foundries
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
around the area. Because of this explosion in industry, railway
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
links were soon established (circa 1830) and 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
Public Libraries Act 1850
The Public Libraries Act 1850 was an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament which first gave local boroughs the power to establish free public libraries...
was passed, and in November Airdrie Public Library
Airdrie Public Library
Airdrie Public Library is a public library in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The library has been housed in a number of buildings since its founding.-History of the two Carnegie library buildings and the observatory:...
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.
Around the mid 1800s, several local newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s began appearing and notably the Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser, which is still the most popular local paper today. Also at this time, football and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
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 F.C.
Airdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
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
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
posed a major problem with severe overcrowding in the few schools available, therefore three new school boards were established. Fees were routinely charged within the schools with the belief they should be self-supporting until a parliamentary act of 1889 relieved some of the infant classes in schools of this burden. Airdrie Academy
Airdrie Academy
-Admissions:It has a current roll of approximately 1,100 pupils. As part of Education 2010, a new building was opened in October 2006 to replace the previous one, which had been in use for almost 70 years....
was built in 1895 and by 1919 all school boards were dissolved and Lanarkshire Education Authority took over responsibility for education throughout Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
.
Airdrie Public Observatory
Airdrie Public Observatory
Airdrie Public Observatory is in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The observatory is open to the public by request, and is housed in Airdrie Public Library...
, 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
Space exploration
Space exploration is the use of space technology to explore outer space. Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft....
and astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
society and registered charity.
By the turn of the century variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
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 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 a generous offer from Sir John Wilson covering the total cost of £13,500). This still stands and is used for major events in the town.
1920 onwards
At the end of the First World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Airdrie was hard hit with many casualties from the war. Many inhabitants also chose to emigrate around this time. Consequently the population only rose by 3% to around 26,000 by 1931. The depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
years had made a great impact on the town and several well known manufacturers ceased to exist and few replaced them. It was reported that 50% of the registered population were unemployed
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
. Church groups tried to provide some comfort for the poor folk in the area and set up educational and work experience projects to help and by 1936 the Airdrie Churches Council had attracted national interest through their work culminating in a building in Graham Street being provided for them (the Mutual Service Club). This is now Airdrie Community Centre.
The current Airdrie Public Library building was eventually constructed on its present site in 1925 after years of moving from one site to another.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
but in 1949 the Boots pharmaceutical company 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 remains a popular venue for concerts and plays.
The 1970s saw the opening of Monklands Hospital
Monklands Hospital
Monklands District General Hospital, is a district general hospital in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Administered by NHS Lanarkshire, it serves a population of approximately 260,000 people of North and South Lanarkshire council areas...
, which replaced an older hospital on the Airdrie House estate that had been closed in 1962 and demolished in 1964.
Modern Airdrie
Airdrie town centre has changed much in the last ten years with a new road scheme and a shift in emphasis with the type of shopping it offers. Graham Street, the main pedestrianised street, has recently been refurbished and has had the pedestrian precinct area upgraded. New housing complexes are being built around this suitably situated commuter townCommuter town
A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...
, notably in Chapelhall, Rochsoles and Glenmavis, the former Boots factory site in Rawyards and the former Imperial Tube Works in Cairnhill.
Airdrie also has signage in the Scots Gaelic language around the town centre, (alongside English) this was first introduced for the 1993 Royal National Mod
Royal National Mod
The Royal National Mod is the annual national mod, a festival of Scottish Gaelic song, arts and culture.The Mod is run by An Comunn Gàidhealach , and includes competitions and awards.-History:...
. The signs were originally erected by Monklands District Council, but have been maintained by North Lanarkshire Council.
Angling
- Airdrie & District Angling Club based at Hillend Loch, one of Scotland's top troutTroutTrout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
fishing locations.
Athletics
- Airdrie Harriers, North Lanarkshire's largest athletics club.
Bowls
There are a number of bowling clubs in the town. All are members of the Lanarkshire Bowling Association and the Scottish Bowling Association, district 27.- Airdrie Bowling Club (founded 1852)
- Calderbank Bowling Club - in nearby CalderbankCalderbankCalderbank is a village outside the town of Airdrie North Lanarkshire, Scotland, The village lies 13 miles east of Glasgow city centre and around 34 miles west of Edinburgh.Other major towns include Coatbridge 4 miles, Bellshill 4 miles and Motherwell 5 miles.-Etymology:The village's name is of a...
. - Caldercraig Bowling Club
- Central Bowling Club
- Clarkston Bowling Club
- Springwells Bowling Club
Football
The town's major football club is Airdrie UnitedAirdrie United F.C.
Airdrie United Football Club are a Scottish professional football team based in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. They are currently managed by ex-Airdrieonians player and former Airdrie United Under 19s coach Jimmy Boyle. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the...
http://www.airdriefc.com, who play in the Second Division
Scottish Football League Second Division
The Scottish Football League Second Division is the second highest division of the Scottish Football League and the third highest overall in the Scottish football league system....
of the Scottish Football League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
, and are based at the Excelsior Stadium
Excelsior Stadium
The Excelsior Stadium is the home of Airdrie United F.C. of the Scottish Football League Second Division. It was built in 1998 to house Airdrieonians F.C., and when Airdrieonians went into liquidation four years later, Airdrie United began playing their home games there.When the stadium first...
. They were formed as a replacement for Airdrieonians
Airdrieonians F.C.
Airdrieonians Football Club, more commonly known as Airdrie, were a Scottish professional football team from the town of Airdrie, in the Monklands area of Lanarkshire....
, who folded in 2002.
In addition there are a number of teams competing in the various Scottish Amateur Football Association
Scottish Amateur Football Association
The Scottish Amateur Football Association is the organising body for amateur football across Scotland. An affiliate of the Scottish Football Association, the SAFA has in turn 50 regional associations affiliated to it and some 67 different league competitions organised by these associations...
leagues.
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 it events at the Forrestburn HillclimbForrestburn Hillclimb
Forrestburn Speed Hill Climb is a hillclimb track near Kirk o' Shotts in North Lanarkshire, central Scotland. The track opened in 1993, and was the first purpose-built hillclimb track in the United Kingdom to be completed since Brooklands in the 1930s...
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.They presently play in the West Regional Leagues
West Regional Leagues (Rugby Union)
The West Regional League structure is one of three Scottish Regional Leagues operated by the Scottish Rugby Union, which play at a level below that of the Scottish National Leagues structure...
Division One (Level five).
Sailing
The Monklands Sailing Club is based at Hillend Loch by CaldercruixCaldercruix
Caldercruix is a semi rural village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.The nearest major town is Airdrie 5 miles away.The village is about 17 miles east of Glasgow and 30 miles west of Edinburgh.Caldercruix developed in the 19th century as the papermaking and mining industries grew...
.
Skateboarding/Rollerblading/BMX
- Airdrie Skatepark and BMX track are located at Airdrie Leisure Centre.
Swimming
- Airdrie and Monklands ASC, based at the John Smith Pool, Airdrie.
Tennis
- Springwells Lawn Tennis Club. A member of the West of Scotland District and LTA County, divisions of Tennis Scotland.
Places of interest
- Airdrie Arts Centre - originally a Carnegie libraryCarnegie libraryA Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
. - Airdrie Public LibraryAirdrie Public LibraryAirdrie Public Library is a public library in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The library has been housed in a number of buildings since its founding.-History of the two Carnegie library buildings and the observatory:...
- Airdrie Public ObservatoryAirdrie Public ObservatoryAirdrie Public Observatory is in the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The observatory is open to the public by request, and is housed in Airdrie Public Library...
- with its celebrated Cooke telescope. - Black Hill transmitting station - the tallest structure in Scotland.
- Centenary and West End Parks - including the Airdrie CenotaphWar memorialA war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
and a VictorianVictorian eraThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
railway viaduct. - Drumbowie World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Anti-aircraft battery - site number N12, part of the Clyde AA defences. Situated just outside GlenmavisGlenmavisGlenmavis is a village in the North Lanarkshire area of Scotland. It is situated about 2 miles north-west of Airdrie on the B802 road. The United Kingdom Census 2001 recorded a population of 2286....
. - Monkland CanalMonkland CanalThe Monkland Canal was a 12.25-mile canal which connected the coal mining areas of Monklands to Glasgow in Scotland. It was opened in 1794, and included a steam-powered inclined plane at Blackhill. It was abandoned for navigation in 1942, but its culverted remains still supply water to the Forth...
- where the Vulcan (barge)Vulcan (barge)The Vulcan, launched in 1819, was the first all iron-hulled vessel to be built. It was designed as a horse-drawn passenger barge for use on the Scottish canals..-History:...
, the world's first iron boat, was constructed and launched in 1819. - New Monklands Parish Church
- The Wallace Stone - legend tells that William WallaceWilliam WallaceSir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence....
sharpened his sword on this stone on his way to the Battle of FalkirkBattle of FalkirkThe Battle of Falkirk, which took place on 22 July 1298, was one of the major battles in the First War of Scottish Independence...
. - Sir John Wilson Town Hall
Organisations
- Airdrie and District Round TableRound Table (club)Round Table is a social networking and charitable organisation for men in their 20s, 30s and early 40s, founded in Norwich, England, in 1927. It is open to all men aged between 18 and 45...
, no.585
- Army Cadet ForceArmy Cadet ForceThe Army Cadet Force is a British youth organisation that offers progressive training in a multitude of the subjects from military training to adventurous training and first aid, at the same time as promoting achievement, discipline, and good citizenship, to boys and girls aged 12 to 18 and 9...
- Glasgow and Lanarkshire Battalion
- Airdrie Astronomical Association - A leading Scottish amateur astronomical organisation.
- Beetroot Studios - full music and video production facilities and services for solo artists or bands.
- Boys Brigade - Airdrie, Coatbridge and District Battalion, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 11th Companies.
- Girl GuidesGirl GuidesA Guide, Girl Guide or Girl Scout is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 10 and 14. Age limits are different in each organisation. It is the female-centred equivalent of the Scouts. The term Girl Scout is used in the United States and several East Asian...
(and Brownies) - County of North Lanarkshire
- The Moira Anderson Foundation http://www.moiraanderson.org - A national charity providing support for those affected by childhood sexual abuse.
- Monklands Women's Aid - associated with Scottish Women's Aid. Based at the One Wellwynd centre. Provides support for women and children suffering from domestic abuse.
- The Royal Scottish Geographical SocietyRoyal Scottish Geographical SocietyThe Royal Scottish Geographical Society is a learned society founded in 1884 and based in Perth. The Society has a membership of 2500 and aims to advance the science of geography worldwide by supporting education, research, expeditions, through its journal , its newsletter and other publications...
maintains a regional centre at the Airdrie Arts Centre.
- The Scout AssociationThe Scout AssociationThe Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
- Clyde Region, Calder District, 5th Lanarkshire, 88th Lanarkshire and 126th Lanarkshire Troops.
- Sea Cadet CorpsSea Cadet Corps (United Kingdom)The Sea Cadet Corps is a UK national youth organisation sponsored by the Royal Navy and open to young people between the ages of 10-18 years old. The SCC is the UK's largest Naval Cadet Force with over 30,000 cadets and adult volunteers...
- T.S. Enterprise
Community Centres
These community centres are maintained by North Lanarkshire Council.- Beechbank CC - located in Whinhall.
- Chapelside CC - includes the Richard Stewart Nursery, North Airdrie Music Project, Chapelside Women's Health Project and an Adult Literacy centre.
- Four Isles CC - located in Petersburn.
- Gartlea CC
- Rochsoles CC
- Springfield CC - located in east-central Airdrie.
- Victoria CC - located in west-central Airdrie.
Governance
Airdrie is represented by several tiers of elected government. North Lanarkshire CouncilNorth Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire...
, the unitary local authority
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
for Airdrie, is based at Motherwell, and is the executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
, deliberative
Deliberation
Deliberation is a process of thoughtfully weighing options, usually prior to voting. In legal settings a jury famously uses deliberation because it is given specific options, like guilty or not guilty, along with information and arguments to evaluate. Deliberation emphasizes the use of logic and...
and legislative
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
body responsible for local governance. The Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
is responsible for devolved matters
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
such as education
Education in Scotland
Scotland has a long history of universal provision of public education, and the Scottish education system is distinctly different from the other countries of the United Kingdom...
, health
NHS Scotland
NHS Scotland is the publicly funded healthcare system of Scotland. Although they are separate bodies the organisational separation between NHS Scotland and the other three healthcare organisations each commonly called the National Health Service in the United Kingdom tends to be hidden from its...
and justice
Scots law
Scots law is the legal system of Scotland. It is considered a hybrid or mixed legal system as it traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. With English law and Northern Irish law it forms the legal system of the United Kingdom; it shares with the two other systems some...
, while reserved matters
Reserved matters
In the United Kingdom reserved matters and excepted matters are the areas of government policy where Parliament had kept the power to make laws in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales....
are dealt with by the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
.
Westminster
The town forms part of the burgh constituencyUnited Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
of Airdrie and Shotts
Airdrie and Shotts (UK Parliament constituency)
Airdrie and Shotts is a constituency of the British House of Commons, located in central Scotland within the North Lanarkshire council area. It elects one Member of Parliament at least once every five years using the First-past-the-post system of voting....
, electing one Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) to the House of Commons. In 2005, changes to the constituency boundaries saw part of its area transferred to Motherwell and Wishaw
Motherwell and Wishaw (UK Parliament constituency)
Motherwell and Wishaw is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1974, mostly from Motherwell...
, offset by the addition of part of Hamilton North and Bellshill
Hamilton North and Bellshill (UK Parliament constituency)
Hamilton North and Bellshill was a burgh constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2005...
.
Pamela Nash
Pamela Nash
Pamela Nash is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Airdrie and Shotts since the 2010 general election.-Early life and education:...
has been MP for Airdrie and Shotts since the 2010 general election; currently she is also the youngest member of the House of Commons. The location has been represented by several prominent Labour MPs in recent years:
- John SmithJohn Smith (UK politician)John Smith was a British Labour Party politician who served as Leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his sudden death from a heart attack in May 1994...
, MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for North Lanarkshire 1970–1983 and Monklands East 1983–1994 (Eastern Coatbridge and Airdrie area). Former Shadow ChancellorShadow Chancellor of the ExchequerThe Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in the British Parliamentary system is the member of the Shadow Cabinet who is responsible for shadowing the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The title is in the gift of the Leader of the Opposition but is informal. The Shadow Chancellor has no constitutional...
and then leader of the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
until his untimely death in 1994. - Helen LiddellHelen LiddellHelen Lawrie Liddell, Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Monklands East from 1994 to 1997, and then for Airdrie and Shotts until 2005, whereafter she became the British High Commissioner to Australia until 2009...
, MP for Monklands East 1994–1997, Airdrie and Shotts 1997–2005, Secretary of State for ScotlandSecretary of State for ScotlandThe Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
and subsequently Britain's High Commissioner to Australia. - John ReidJohn Reid (politician)John Reid, Baron Reid of Cardowan, PC is a British politician, who served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament and cabinet minister under Tony Blair, most notably as Defence Secretary and then Home Secretary...
, MP for Airdrie and Shotts 2005–2010, a high profile minister including as the first Roman CatholicRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
to be appointed Secretary of State for Northern IrelandSecretary of State for Northern IrelandThe Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, informally the Northern Ireland Secretary, is the principal secretary of state in the government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State is a Minister of the Crown who is accountable to the Parliament of...
.
Scottish Parliament
For the purposes of the Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
, Airdrie forms part of the Airdrie and Shotts
Airdrie and Shotts (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Airdrie and Shotts is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
constituency. This has slightly different boundaries than that of the UK Parliament constituency of the same name. The current member of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
for Airdrie and Shotts
Airdrie and Shotts (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Airdrie and Shotts is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
is Alex Neil MSP (Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
), who won this seat in the 2011 Scottish Parliament from the LAbour Party who had held the seat since the instatement of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.
In addition to this Airdrie is represented by seven regional MSPs
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions were first used in 1999, in the first general election of the Scottish Parliament , created by the Scotland Act 1998....
from the Central Scotland electoral region
Central Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)
Central Scotland is one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament which were created in 1999. Ten of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...
. They are: Linda Fabiani
Linda Fabiani
Linda Fabiani is a Scots-Italian politician. A member of the Scottish National Party . She is the Member of the Scottish Parliament for East Kilbride....
(Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
, SNP), Jamie Hepburn
Jamie Hepburn
Jamie Hepburn is a Scottish politician. He is a Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth...
(SNP), Christina McKelvie
Christina McKelvie
Christina McKelvie is a Member of the Scottish Parliament for Central Scotland. She was elected as a Scottish National Party party list candidate in the 2007 election, and has been elected as MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse in the 2011 election.-Early life:She studied at St Leonards...
(SNP), Margaret Mitchell
Margaret Mitchell
Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell was an American author and journalist. Mitchell won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937 for her epic American Civil War era novel, Gone with the Wind, which was the only novel by Mitchell published during her lifetime.-Family:Margaret Mitchell was born in Atlanta,...
(Scottish Conservative Party), Alex Neil (SNP), Hugh O'Donnell (Scottish Liberal Democrats
Scottish Liberal Democrats
The Scottish Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties within the federal Liberal Democrats; the others being the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England...
), and John Wilson
John Wilson (Scottish politician)
John Wilson is a Scottish politician. A member of the Scottish National Party , he was elected to the Scottish Parliament to represent Central Scotland at the 2007 election....
(SNP).
Local government
Up until 1975, Airdrie had its own Burgh Council. Between 1975 and 1996, Airdrie came under Monklands District Council operating in conjunction with Strathclyde Regional CouncilStrathclyde
right|thumb|the former Strathclyde regionStrathclyde was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created by the Local Government Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Government etc Act 1994...
. 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
Monklandsgate
Monklandsgate was the name of a political scandal in the former Scottish local government district of Monklands which dominated the Monklands East by-election in 1994....
greatly tarnished the Council's reputation. After 1996, it came under the authority of the unitary North Lanarkshire Council
North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. It borders onto the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains much of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also borders Stirling, Falkirk, East Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and South Lanarkshire...
. Currently, the council is in control of the Labour group and the leader of the council is Jim McCabe, councillor for Thorniewood.
Police
Policing in Airdrie is undertaken by Strathclyde PoliceStrathclyde Police
Strathclyde Police is the territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council areas of Argyll and Bute, City of Glasgow, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West...
. Airdrie is part of N Division which is headquartered in Motherwell
Motherwell
Motherwell is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, south east of Glasgow. The name "Moderwelt" appears on a map of Lanarkshire made by Timothy Pont some time between 1583 and 1611 and printed in the Netherlands in around 1652, although the settlement was probably little more...
with Chief Superintendent
Chief Superintendent
Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces organised on the British model.- United Kingdom :In the British police, a chief superintendent is senior to a superintendent and junior to an assistant chief constable .The highest rank below Chief Officer level, chief...
Graham Cairns responsible for local strategy. 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 provides a comprehensive local court service for the area including civil actions and criminal cases. It is administered by the Scottish Court ServiceScottish Court Service
The Scottish Court Service is the body which is responsible for the administration of the Court system in Scotland. The Service employs over 1000 staff members in Scotland's 49 Sheriff Courts, the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary, Justice of the Peace Courts and at the Service's HQ...
and part of the South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway Sheriffdom
Sheriffdom
A sheriffdom is a judicial district in Scotland.Since 1 January 1975 there have been six sheriffdoms. Previously sheriffdoms were composed of groupings of counties...
headed by a Sheriff Principal
Sheriff Principal
The office of sheriff principal is unique within the judicial structure of Scotland, and it cannot therefore readily be compared with any other judicial office. It is one of great antiquity, having existed continuously since around the 11th century...
.
Other
- The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal ServiceCrown Office and Procurator Fiscal ServiceThe Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service provides the independent public prosecution service for Scotland, and is a Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government. The department is headed by Her Majesty's Lord Advocate, who under the Scottish legal system is responsible for prosecution,...
, responsible for the prosecution of crime in Scotland, maintains an office in the town directly opposite the Court. - The Airdrie Hearing Centre holds Children's Hearings within the town. The Centre is part of the Central West Region of the Scottish Children's Reporter AdministrationScottish Children's Reporter AdministrationThe Scottish Children's Reporter Administration is a Scottish Government executive non-departmental public body with responsibility for protecting children at risk...
.
Overview
As outlined in the history section Airdrie's traditional economic activities of weaving, coal mining, and heavy industry have ceased to exist. Whilst the GlenflaglerGlenflagler
Glenflagler Distillery, located in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, has a history dating back to 1892 and produces the whisky Glen Flagler. In its modern form Glen Flagler distillation commenced on the 25 February 1965...
Distillery is now closed the town still retains a strong involvement in the whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
industry. It is fair to say that, 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 whom closed their factory in 2004. Nonetheless it does retain significant economic activity.
Notable Airdrie employers
- Airdrie Business Centre - a fully BREEAMBREEAMBRE Environmental Assessment Method is a voluntary measurement rating for green buildings that was established in the UK by the Building Research Establishment . Since its inception it has since grown in scope and geographically, being exported in various guises across the globe...
accredited facility notable for its grass turf roof.
- Airdrie Savings BankAirdrie Savings BankAirdrie Savings Bank is a small commercial bank operation in the Lanarkshire and Glasgow areas of Scotland. It runs 8 branches throughout this area, with its head office in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire...
http://www.airdriesavingsbank.com, one of the few independent banks in the UK, and the only independent savings bank.
- Albert Bartlett & Sons, the leading 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.
- Bell Group, the UK's largest commercial and industrial painting firm.
- Burn Stewart Distillers, blending, maturation and warehousing. Products include DeanstonDeanstonDeanston is a village in the district of Stirling,Scotland, on the south bank of the River Teith, formerly of West Perthshire. It is a part of the parish of Kilmadock....
, Ledaig and Tobermory Single MaltTobermory Single MaltTobermory Single Malt is a Scotch whisky distilled by the Tobermory Distillery, Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, a hebridean isle in western Scotland, north from the isle of Islay.-Production and character:...
.
- Caldervale Forge Co. Ltd., better known by their Rockeater products. World leading manufacturer of hydraulic breaker steels.
- Donald McLaren Ltd., the first and only independent funeral directors in Airdrie and Coatbridge since 1912.
- EFTEE - leading dump truckDump truckA dump truck is a truck used for transporting loose material for construction. A typical dump truck is equipped with a hydraulically operated open-box bed hinged at the rear, the front of which can be lifted up to allow the contents to be deposited on the ground behind the truck at the site of...
body manufacturer.
- GM Mining, a mining and associated industries company operated by a local family (the Gillespies) and David MurrayDavid Murray (Scottish businessman)Sir David Edward Murray is a Scottish entrepreneur, businessman and former owner and chairman of Rangers Football Club....
.
- Harrison-Field, one of the UK's leading manufacturer and supplier of workwear with headquarters and production facilities in the town.
- Inver House Distillers LimitedInver House Distillers LimitedInver House Distillers Limited is a Scottish malt whisky distiller, based in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. The company is now a subsidiary of Thai Beverages, one of the largest alcoholic-beverage companies in South East Asia, with a market capitalisation in excess of US$4bn.Inver House Distillers is...
http://www.inverhouse.com, headquarters and warehousing in Airdrie. Products include Old Pulteney, Balblair, Heather CreamHeather CreamHeather Cream is a Scottish cream liqueur made from cream and single malt Scotch whisky. According to the maker, Inver House Distillers, it was first produced in 1980....
and Coldstream Gin.
- Monklands HospitalMonklands HospitalMonklands District General Hospital, is a district general hospital in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Administered by NHS Lanarkshire, it serves a population of approximately 260,000 people of North and South Lanarkshire council areas...
- Newlay - major civil engineering company specialising in road construction.
- One Wellwynd Innovative business and conference centre incorporating the refurbished Old Wellwynd Church building (1847).
- Rowan Timber, Scotland's leading timber supplier, was established in Airdrie, maintains a major depot in the town and is headquartered in nearby PlainsPlains, North LanarkshirePlains is a village outside the town of Airdrie, in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about 14 miles east of Glasgow city centre and 32 miles west of Edinburgh. The nearest major towns are and...
.
- Scottish Crane and Engineering Services, one of Scotland's leading manufacturer and supplier of cranes and related engineering services.
- TeleperformanceTeleperformanceTeleperformance is a French customer service, technical support, call center and debt collection company with headquarters in Paris, France.The company operates in around 50 countries, including UK, Brazil, Chile, India, Philippines, China , Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Norway, Italy, USA, Costa...
, a major leader in telesalesTelemarketingTelemarketing is a method of direct marketing in which a salesperson solicits prospective customers to buy products or services, either over the phone or through a subsequent face to face or Web conferencing appointment scheduled during the call.Telemarketing can also include recorded sales pitches...
and technical supportTechnical supportTechnical support or tech support refers to a range of services by which enterprises provide assistance to users of technology products such as mobile phones, televisions, computers, software products or other electronic or mechanical goods...
. Formerly operated as beCogent.
- Terra Tek, one of the UK's foremost companies providing site investigation and geotechnical laboratory services.
Trading Estates
- Brownsburn Industrial Estate: Relief Orthotics (orthoses), T.O.M., (motor vehicle services)
- Osprey Trade Park: Ace ElevatorsElevatorAn elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
, Graham (plumbing supplies), Howdens (fitted kitchens), Jewson (building supplies)
Demographics
According to the 2001 CensusUnited Kingdom Census 2001
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....
, 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.
- only 0.42% spoke Gaelic.
Religion
ChristianChurch of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
- Airdrie's Church of Scotland churches are part of the Presbytery of Hamilton
Presbyterian polity
Presbyterian polity is a method of church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of presbyters, or elders. Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply...
.
- Broomknoll Church (1889)
- Clarkston Church (1837)
- Flowerhill Church (1875)
- High Church
- Jackson Church
- New Monkland Parish Church (bef. 1698) - In nearby GlenmavisGlenmavisGlenmavis is a village in the North Lanarkshire area of Scotland. It is situated about 2 miles north-west of Airdrie on the B802 road. The United Kingdom Census 2001 recorded a population of 2286....
. - New Wellwynd (1834)
- St Columba's Church
Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholicism in Scotland
Roman Catholicism in Scotland , overseen by the Scottish Bishops' Conference, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope, currently Pope Benedict XVI. After being firmly established in Scotland for a millennium, Catholicism was outlawed following...
- Airdrie's Roman Cathloic churches are immediately governed by the Diocese of Motherwell
Diocese of Motherwell
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Motherwell is an ecclesiastical diocese of the Catholic Church in Scotland.The diocese, which was erected on 25 May 1947 from the Archdiocese of Glasgow, is led by the Bishop of Motherwell currently the Right Reverend Joseph Devine.In 2004 the Catholic population,...
, currently led by Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Joseph Devine
Joseph Devine
Joseph Devine is the Roman Catholic Bishop of Motherwell in Scotland.He was educated at St Ninian's High School, Kirkintilloch, St. Mary's College, and St. Peter's College, Cardross. He was ordained priest on 29 June 1960 at the Pontifical Scots College in Rome. He received his Ph.D...
. The Bishops' Conference of Scotland
Bishops' Conference of Scotland
The Bishops' Conference of Scotland is an episcopal conference for Roman Catholic bishops in Scotland and is based in Airdrie. The conference is primarily made up of the presiding bishops of Scotland's eight dioceses as well as bishops who have retired....
(effectively the Church's headquarters in Scotland) is situated in Airdrie.
- St Andrew's Church
- St Edward's Church
- St Margaret's Church (1839)
- St Serf's Church
Congregational Church
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
- Airdrie's Congregational churches are associoated with the Congregational Federation
Congregational Federation
The Congregational Federation is a Federation of independent Congregational churches in England, Scotland and Wales....
.
- Coatdyke Church
- Ebenezer Church (Broomknoll Street) (1882)
- Pilgrim Church
Other
- Airdrie Baptist Church (1843) - part of the Baptist Union of ScotlandBaptist Union of ScotlandThe Baptist Union of Scotland is the main denomination of Baptist churches in Scotland.-From the 1650s to 1869:Baptists first arrived in Scotland with the armies of English republican Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s, who established small churches in Leith, Perth, Cupar, Ayr and Aberdeen, but they did...
. - Airdrie Islamic Centre (mosque) - part of the UK Islamic Mission.
- Airdrie Park - part of the United Reformed ChurchUnited Reformed ChurchThe United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
. - Airdrie Reformed Presbyterian Church - part of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of ScotlandReformed Presbyterian Church of ScotlandThe Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland is a Christian denomination. It is the original church of the Reformed Presbyterian tradition . The RPCS formed in 1690 when its members declined to be part of the establishment of the Church of Scotland...
, which is largely headquartered in Airdrie. - The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints Chapel
- Ebenezer Church (Aitchison Street) - Evangelical ChurchEvangelicalismEvangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
- Airdrie's Evangelical churches are BrethrenPlymouth BrethrenThe Plymouth Brethren is a conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s. Although the group is notable for not taking any official "church name" to itself, and not having an official clergy or liturgy, the title "The Brethren," is...
and associated with the Evangelical AllianceEvangelical AllianceThe Evangelical Alliance is a London-based charitable organization founded in 1846. It has a claimed representation of over 1,000,000 evangelical Christians in the United Kingdom and is the oldest alliance of evangelical Christians in the world....
. - Jehovah's Witnesses' Kingdom Hall
- The Salvation ArmyThe Salvation ArmyThe Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, Airdrie Corps - St Andrew's Hospice - operated by the Sisters of CharitySisters of CharityMany religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name. The rule of Saint Vincent for the Daughters of Charity has been adopted and adapted by at least sixty founders of religious orders around the world in the subsequent centuries....
. - St Paul & St John the Baptist - part of the Scottish Episcopal ChurchScottish Episcopal ChurchThe Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
, governed by the Diocese of Glasgow and GallowayDiocese of Glasgow and GallowayThe Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway is one of the seven dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church. It covers Dumfries and Galloway, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire , Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and west Stirlingshire . The diocesan centre is St...
, currently led by Idris JonesIdris JonesFor the Wales international rugby union player see Idris Jones Idris Jones is a retired Anglican bishop of the Scottish Episcopal Church. He was formerly the Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway.-Education and ministry:...
, PrimusPrimate (religion)Primate is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority or ceremonial precedence ....
of the whole Church.
Transport
Airdrie railway stationAirdrie railway station
Airdrie railway station is a railway station serving the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The station is managed by First ScotRail and is served by trains on the North Clyde Line, east of Glasgow Queen Street.-History:...
is on the electrified North Clyde Line
North Clyde Line
The North Clyde Line is a suburban railway in West Central Scotland. The route is operated by First ScotRail, on behalf of Transport Scotland...
. This railway provides a frequent train service to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
via and . In 2010, the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link
Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link
The Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link is a railway in central Scotland.Instigated as part of a round of transport improvement projects proposed by the then Scottish Executive in 2003, the plan was to open up a fourth direct railway link between the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. The project was...
opened providing Airdrie with a direct commuter train service to , and . Drumgelloch railway station
Drumgelloch railway station
Drumgelloch railway station was a railway station serving Drumgelloch, an eastern suburb of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The station was managed by First ScotRail and was the eastern terminus of the North Clyde Line, 20 km east of from May 1989 to May 2010.-History:The station was...
serves the eastern end of the town.
Airdrie has excellent road links to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Motherwell
Motherwell
Motherwell is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, south east of Glasgow. The name "Moderwelt" appears on a map of Lanarkshire made by Timothy Pont some time between 1583 and 1611 and printed in the Netherlands in around 1652, although the settlement was probably little more...
, and Cumbernauld
Cumbernauld
Cumbernauld is a Scottish new town in North Lanarkshire. It was created in 1956 as a population overspill for Glasgow City. It is the eighth most populous settlement in Scotland and the largest in North Lanarkshire...
and is situated close to the M8 motorway. Bus services are largely undertaken by local operators, and links to Glasgow are provided by First Glasgow
First Glasgow
First Glasgow is the largest bus company serving the Greater Glasgow area in, Scotland. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
.
Airdrie is connected to the UK National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
by National Cycle Route 75. This route provides a path between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Healthcare
NHS LanarkshireNHS Lanarkshire
NHS Lanarkshire is responsible for improving the health of more than 553,000 people living within the council areas of North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire in Scotland. NHS Lanarkshire employs approximately 12,000 staff...
is responsible for the healthcare of Airdrie residents. Airdrie is home to Monklands District General Hospital
Monklands Hospital
Monklands District General Hospital, is a district general hospital in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Administered by NHS Lanarkshire, it serves a population of approximately 260,000 people of North and South Lanarkshire council areas...
with a 24-hour Accident & Emergency
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
department. The hospital has 473 beds and provides a comprehensive service with specialist renal and ENT
Otolaryngology
Otolaryngology or ENT is the branch of medicine and surgery that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, throat, and head and neck disorders....
departments. Another NHS hospital, Wester Moffat, provides long term care for the elderly. The West Central division of the Scottish Ambulance Service
Scottish Ambulance Service
The Scottish Ambulance Service is part of NHS Scotland, and serves all of Scotland. It is a Special Health Board funded directly by the Scottish Government Health Department....
provides accident and emergency, and patient transport services for the town. Also located in the town is St Andrews's Hospice which is operated by the Sisters of Charity
Sisters of Charity
Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name. The rule of Saint Vincent for the Daughters of Charity has been adopted and adapted by at least sixty founders of religious orders around the world in the subsequent centuries....
and partly funded by North Lanarkshire Council. The hospice is a leading palliative care unit in Scotland with a strong emphasis on cancer care. The Parkinson's Self Help Group (North Lanarkshire) is based in the Weavers' Cottages (1780) and provides support for people with Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
. The SVGCA - Houses for Heroes, a charity providing suitable accommodation for permanently disabled armed forces, police and fire service personnel, maintains four houses in the town. In addition there are several medical practices, dental surgeries, nursing homes and opticians throughout Airdrie.
Education
There are three secondary schools, 13 primary schools, two dedicated nursery schools, and one special needsSpecial needs
In the USA, special needs is a term used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. For instance, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International...
school in Airdrie, all of which are run by North Lanarkshire Council.
Secondary schools
- Airdrie AcademyAirdrie Academy-Admissions:It has a current roll of approximately 1,100 pupils. As part of Education 2010, a new building was opened in October 2006 to replace the previous one, which had been in use for almost 70 years....
http://www.airdrie.n-lanark.sch.uk - Non-denominational, co-educational, comprehensive schoolComprehensive schoolA comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United... - Caldervale High http://www.caldervale.n-lanark.sch.uk - Non-denominational, co-educational, comprehensive schoolComprehensive schoolA comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
- St Margaret's High - Roman Catholic, co-educational, comprehensive schoolComprehensive schoolA comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...
Primary schools
- Alexandra Primary - Roman Catholic, co-educational
- Chapelside Primary - Non-denominational, co-educational,
- Clarkston Primary - Non-denominational, co-educational
- Dunrobin Primary - Non-denominational, co-educational
- Glengowan & St Mary's Primary Schools and Nursery - Joint campus, non-deominational and Roman Catholic, co-educational - in nearby CaldercruixCaldercruixCaldercruix is a semi rural village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.The nearest major town is Airdrie 5 miles away.The village is about 17 miles east of Glasgow and 30 miles west of Edinburgh.Caldercruix developed in the 19th century as the papermaking and mining industries grew...
. - Golfhill Primary - Non-denominational, co-educational
- Petersburn Primary and Nursery - Non-denominational, co-educational
- New Monkland Primary and Nursery - Non-denominational, co-educational - in nearby GlenmavisGlenmavisGlenmavis is a village in the North Lanarkshire area of Scotland. It is situated about 2 miles north-west of Airdrie on the B802 road. The United Kingdom Census 2001 recorded a population of 2286....
. - Plains & St David's Primary Schools - Joint campus, non-deominational and Roman Catholic, co-educational - in nearby PlainsPlainsPlains is the plural of plain, a geographical feature. It is a big flat area of a land. Plains or The Plains may also refer to:-Locations:Canada*Three Mile Plains, Nova Scotia*Five Mile Plains, Nova ScotiaUnited States*Great Plains...
. - Rochsolloch Primary and Nursery - Non-denominational, co-educational
- St Andrew's Primary and Nursery - Roman Catholic, co-educational
- St Dominic's Primary and Nursery - Roman Catholic, co-educational
- St Edward's Primary and Nursery - Roman Catholic, co-educational
- St Serf's Primary and Nursery - Roman Catholic, co-educational
- Tollbrae Primary and Nursery - Non-denominational, co-educational
- Victoria Primary and Nursery - Non-denominational, co-educational
Private nursery schools
- Croft Park Nursery
- First Class Nursery
- Grahamshill Private Day Nursery
- Heathpark Nursery
- Steppeing Stones Nursery
- Tiny Tots Academy
Volunteering
Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire (VANL) is headquartered in Airdrie.It forms a single point of contact for information, advice and support for voluntary and community organisations, their staff and volunteers, and acts as a representative body for the voluntary and community sector. VANL also provides scheduled and bespoke training for staff and volunteers in a wide variety of areas, including finance, funding & sustainability, governance, ICT, employability and personal development.
Notable people
- Bill AdamBill AdamBill Adam is a Canadian racing driver born in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland.Starting his career in sports cars toward the end of the 1970s, Adam drove as a privateer, winning a Canadian championship before being hired professionally...
- Racing driver - Ian BannenIan BannenIan Bannen was a Scottish character actor and occasional leading man.-Early life and career:Bannen was born in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, the son of Clare and John James Bannen, a lawyer. Bannen served in the British Army after attending St Aloysius' College, Glasgow and Ratcliffe College,...
- Actor - John CraigJohn Craig (geologist)John Craig FGS was a Scottish geologist and lexicographer. He was lecturer in geology at Anderson's University, Glasgow, and a Fellow of the Geological Society of London. In 1849 he published a dictionary....
- geologist and lexicographer - Hugh de LargieHugh de LargieHugh de Largie was an inaugural member of the Australian Senate in Western Australia for the Australian Labor Party, National Labor Party, and Nationalist Party of Australia from 1901 to 1922.- Early life :...
- Australian politician - The Big Dish - Pop/rock band
- Ryan DalzielRyan DalzielRyan Dalziel , is a Scottish race car driver. He spent three years in the Toyota Atlantic championship, finishing runner-up twice, before moving to the American Le Mans series in 2005. He also contested one Champ Car race for Dale Coyne Racing at Toronto, finishing 9th. In 2006, he drove a...
- Racing driver - Ross DavidsonRoss DavidsonWilliam Russell "Ross" Davidson was a British actor best known for his role as Andy O'Brien in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Career:...
- Actor - Emily GerardEmily GerardEmily Gerard was a nineteenth century author best known for the influence her collections of Transylvanian folklore had on Bram Stoker's Dracula...
- Writer. Works inspired Bram Stoker's DraculaDraculaDracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
and coined the term Nosferatu. - John Graham, 1st Viscount of DundeeJohn Graham, 1st Viscount of DundeeJohn Graham of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount Dundee , known as the 7th Laird of Claverhouse until raised to the viscounty in 1688, was a Scottish soldier and nobleman, a Tory and an Episcopalian...
- also known as 'Bluidy Clavers' and 'Bonnie Dundee'. Royalist and JacobiteJacobitismJacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
soldier. - Dee HepburnDee HepburnDee Hepburn is a former actor.She trained in acting, and took a part as a school girl in the BBC's production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. She starred in Bill Forsyth's 1981 film Gregory's Girl, playing John Gordon Sinclair's love interest Dorothy...
- Actress. Most famous for her role in Gregory's GirlGregory's GirlGregory's Girl is a 1981 Scottish coming-of-age romantic comedy film written and directed by Bill Forsyth.The film is set in and around a state secondary school in the Abronhill district of Cumbernauld. It features Gordon John Sinclair, Dee Hepburn, and Clare Grogan, among others...
. - Jim LambieJim LambieJames "Jim" Lambie is a contemporary visual artist, and was shortlisted for the 2005 Turner Prize with an installation called Mental Oyster....
- Turner PrizeTurner PrizeThe Turner Prize, named after the painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist under the age of 50. Awarding the prize is organised by the Tate gallery and staged at Tate Britain. Since its beginnings in 1984 it has become the United Kingdom's most publicised...
nominated artist. - David Ross LauderDavid Ross LauderDavid Ross Lauder VC was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
- Soldier and recipient of the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. - Sir George G. MacfarlaneGeorge G. MacfarlaneGeorge G. Macfarlane was an engineer, scientific administrator and public servant. He made major contributions to research on radar during World War II and received a special appointment as Superintendent, for theoretical work, within the Physics Division of the Telecommunications Research...
, engineer, scientific administrator and public servant. - John O'NeillJohn O'Neill (VC)John O'Neill VC MM was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.He was 21 years old, and a sergeant in the 2nd Battalion, Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment,...
- Soldier and recipient of the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. - Jim TraynorJim TraynorJames 'Jim' Sexton Traynor is a sports journalist with the Scottish newspaper the Daily Record and presenter of BBC Radio Scotland's football-based phone-in show Your Call....
- Sports broadcaster and journalist. - George Ure - Actor/Singer. Star of West End theatreWest End theatreWest End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
productions WickedWicked (musical)Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
and HairHair (musical)Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
. - Sir John WilsonWilson BaronetsThere have been eight Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Wilson, one in the Baronetage of Ireland and six in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom.-Wilsons Baronets, of Killenure :...
- BaronetBaronetA baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
(Wilson Baronetcy of Airdrie, which continues today with the 5th Baronet).
Footballers
Airdrie has produced more than its fair share of good footballers over the years.- John ArmstrongJohn Armstrong (footballer born 1936)John Armstrong, born September 5, 1936 in Airdrie is a former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.-References:...
- Barry BannanBarry BannanBarry Bannan is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for English Premier League club Aston Villa. He plays as a midfielder and is a Scotland full international, and also represented under-21 and B levels...
- Dick BlackDick BlackArthur Richard "Dick" Black was a Scottish footballer. His regular position was as a forward. He was born in Airdrie. He played for Stenhousemuir, Blantyre Victoria, Greenock Morton, St. Mirren, and Manchester United....
- Gary LoveGary LoveGary Love is a British actor and film director. He is best known for playing the role of Sergeant Tony Wilton in the award winning series Soldier Soldier....
- George BrownGeorge Brown (footballer born 1928)George Brown is a former Scottish footballer. He won the 1955 Scottish Cup with Clyde. He was born in Airdrie.Died 22nd October 2011 survived by his wife Maureen and family. Funeral service from Coatdyke Congregational Church to Glenmavis Cemetery, North Lanarkshire.-References:*, Post War...
- Jackie CampbellJackie CampbellJackie Campbell is a Scottish former professional association football player. He played his entire career at Partick Thistle for whom he made 579 appearances as a defender....
- Sandy ClarkSandy ClarkAlexander "Sandy" Clark is a former professional football player and currently a pundit for BBC Scotland. He was a centre forward....
- Bobby CummingBobby CummingRobert 'Bobby' Cumming was a combative defender/midfielder who spent the majority of his career at Grimsby Town, where he is remembered fondly for the ferocity of his tackling, before joining Lincoln City in 1987. He was an integral part of Lincoln's Conference winning team and was rewarded by...
- Torrance GillickTorrance GillickTorrance 'Torry' Gillick was a Scottish footballer who played on the wing for Rangers, Everton and Partick Thistle....
- Dick HendrieDick HendrieRichard "Dick" Hendrie was a Scottish football player and manager.-Playing career:Hendrie played for Airdrieonians and Queens Park in his native Scotland. He then moved to England and played for Maidstone United, before joining Gillingham in 1923...
- Drew JarvieDrew JarvieAndrew "Drew" Jarvie is a former Scottish footballer known mostly for his time with club team Aberdeen...
- Alan LawrenceAlan LawrenceAlan Lawrence , fondly known as “Nipper”, is a former Scottish footballer best known for his time spent with Airdrieonians and Heart of Midlothian in the early and mid-1990s...
- Nicknamed 'Nipper'. - Brian McClairBrian McClairBrian John McClair is a former Scottish international football player who played as a forward, notable for his near 11-year spell at Manchester United, as well as important tenures at Scottish clubs Celtic and Motherwell...
- Bob McFarlaneBob McFarlane (footballer)Robert McFarlane was a Scottish footballer. His regular position was as a defender. He was born in Airdrie. He played for Manchester United, Sunderland Albion, Bootle, and Airdrieonians.-External links:*...
- John McGregorJohn McGregor (footballer born 1963)John McGregor is a former professional footballer player.McGregor started his career at Queen's Park after signing from Bargeddie Amateurs. He went on to make over a hundred appearances for the Spiders, becoming a mainstay in the side for over three seasons. His form attracted the attention of...
- Ian McMillanIan McMillan (footballer)John Livingstone "Ian" McMillan is a former Scottish footballer who played for , and the Scotland national team.-Airdrieonians:...
- Robert MainRobert Main (footballer)Robert Frame Main is a Scottish former professional football player who is best known for his time with Rangers....
- Alan MortonAlan MortonAlan Lauder Morton was a Scottish international footballer and 'Wembley Wizard'. He was known for his stirring wing play as an outside-left and commitment to Rangers. He retired from active play in 1933.-Early life:...
- Nicknamed 'The Wee Blue Devil'. - Jimmy SmithJimmy Smith (footballer born 1911)James "Jimmy" Smith was a Scottish professional footballer who played for East Stirlingshire and Rangers. During his time at Rangers he scored 249 goals in 259 games.-Club career:...
- Gardner SpeirsGardner SpeirsWalter Gardner Speirs is a Scottish former footballer and manager.He is currently manager of Glasgow amateurs Queen's Park.-Playing:During his playing career, Speirs played for St...
- James WhiteJames White (Scottish footballer)James White , also known as Jimmy White or Tec White, is a former Scottish footballer who spent most of his career playing for Fall River Marksmen in the American Soccer League. He was born in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland.-Playing career:In 1920, White signed with Albion Rovers of the...
- Martin WoodsMartin WoodsMartin Paul Woods is a Scottish footballer currently playing for Doncaster Rovers. He is an attacking left-sided midfield player noted for his long range shooting and free kicks. He is also a former Scotland U21 international.-Leeds United:Woods started his career at the Leeds United academy,...
- Paul McGowan
- Derek RiordanDerek RiordanDerek George Riordan is a Scottish footballer who plays as a forward. He has been capped three times by the Scotland national football team. Riordan started his career with Hibernian in 2001 and had a brief spell on loan with Cowdenbeath in 2003...
- John RankinJohn RankinJohn Rankin may refer to:*Reverend John Rankin , American Presbyterian minister, educator and abolitionist*John E. Rankin , United States Representative from Mississippi*John W...
Twinned Towns
AirdrieAirdrie, Alberta
Airdrie is a city in Alberta, Canada, located just north of Calgary within the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. The City of Airdrie is part of Calgary's Census Metropolitan Area and a member community of the Calgary Regional Partnership . Due to its proximity to Calgary, Airdrie's population has been...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Port Stanley, Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
See also
- Scottish Independence Party - headquartered in Airdrie
- List of places in North Lanarkshire
Sources
- Begg, E. and Rich, D. (1991) On the Trail of Merlin. ISBN 0-85030-939-5
- Geddes, C.M. (1995) Airdrie 300:A Souvenir Brochure. Motherwell: Monklands Library Services. ISBN 0-946120-29-3
- Hutton, G. (1997) Lanarkshire's Mining Legacy. Catrine: Stenlake Publishing. ISBN 1-84033-015-5
- McCutcheon, C. (1994) Old Airdrie. Catrine: Stenlake Publishing. ISBN 1-872074-34-0
- Moir, H. (2001) Airdrie. Stroud: Tempus Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7524-2368-1
- Scobbie, J.K. (1985) Book of Airdrie. Motherwell: Monklands Library Services. ISBN 0-946120-08-0
- Wilson, R. (1997) Old Airdrie Villages. Catrine: Stenlake Publishing. ISBN 1-84033-004-X
External links
- Airdrie Scotland Website
- Local information portal
- Airdrie web page
- 'Old-fashioned' Scottish bank shrugs off economic crisis, Aljazeera English, 28 February 2009, YouTube (2 min).