Kilsyth
Encyclopedia
Kilsyth is a town of 10,100 (2004 Estimates) roughly halfway between Glasgow
and Stirling
in North Lanarkshire
, Scotland
.
to the south. To the east and west it is bordered by marshland and bog
s. The centre of the town is close to the confluence of the Garrell and Ebroch burns.
From earliest recorded times Kilsyth was one of the main routes between Glasgow
, Falkirk
and Edinburgh
, and is very close to the Roman Antonine Wall
, the Forth and Clyde Canal
and the main Glasgow to Edinburgh
railway line, with the nearest railway station at Croy
. The main A80/M80 motorway
is close by to the south. Formerly two separate stations existed in the town on separate, although linked, railway lines. One went to Glasgow, Maryhill while the other went via Banknock to Falkirk.
The town occupies a sheltered position in the Kelvin Valley
, and is bisected by the A803 between Kirkintilloch
and Falkirk
. The old drovers' road from Stirling
, (the Tak Ma Doon Road), and the route south to Cumbernauld
via Auchinstarry Bridge
, intersect the A803
at Kilsyth.
times
. The Romans
recognised the strategic significance of Kilsyth with forts at Colziumbea (NS 7391 7774) and Castle Hill (NS 7091 7610) as well as the Antonine Wall forts of Bar Hill and Croy Hill which are clearly visible from the present-day town. In the Middle Ages
, Kilsyth held a key strategic position on one of the main routes across the narrowest part of Scotland and was the site of two castles (now destroyed) at Balcastle and Colzium
shown in Timothy Pont
's map of 1580.
The Civil War Battle of Kilsyth
took place on hillsides between Kilsyth and Banton, North Lanarkshire in 1645. Kilsyth was later closely associated with the various attempts by the Jacobites
to regain the crown.
, and t mineral resources, especially coking coal, whinstone
, ironstone
and limestone
. The town economy has shifted over the past three centuries from farming, handloom weaving
and extractive industries
to light engineering
, transport
and service industries. Many of the townsfolk of working age now commute
to work in nearby Glasgow
and other larger towns nearby.
Kilsyth has claims to be the place where the winter sport
of curling
was first constituted. The town had the world's first curling club which survives to this day. Curling was played on the Curling Pond in the Colzium
Estate in the east of the town.
In the 1950 s the town boasted as having the highest proportion of council housing in Europe as the old miner's rows and other slum accommodation was removed. In recent year a large number of small housing estates have been developed on either end of the town.
and was the scene of major revivals under the leadership of James Robe in 1742 and William Chalmers Burns
in 1839, part of the Second Great Awakening
. William Irvine
(Scottish evangelist and founder of the Two by Twos and Cooneyites
sects) was born in Kilsyth in 1863. The formation of the new Pentecostal Church of God in 1902 led to further outbreaks of religious fervour in 1908. The influx of Roman Catholic immigrant workers from Ireland
led to outbreaks of sectarian violence at the Duntreath Arms Inn (adjacent to Innsbridge) in 1905, which followed a mistaken visit by an Orange band which disembarked at Croy and marched to Kilsyth. The Riot Act was read at the ensuing battle. It was one of the two 'dry towns' from the 1920 s to 1960 s when a poll dictated that no alcohol would be sold. This was a result of the amount of drinking by miners and the consequent poverty and violence at home. Sunday walks over the Tak Ma Doon Road to the Carronbridge Hotel were popular. Today, Kilsyth is a more tolerant town with a wide variety of faiths which co-exist in harmony through the auspices of the ecumenical "Kirks The Gither" movement.
Kilsyth was originally part of the earldom of Lennox. The parish was called variously Monyabroch, Monaeburgh, or Moniabrocd, but part of the parish was called Kelvesyth by the beginnings of the 13th century. The lands passed through the hands of branches of the Callendar and Livingston families as their fortunes waxed and waned, eventually becoming the property of the Edmonstones. Kilsyth was established as a Burgh of Barony in 1620. A Town Charter was granted in 1826, permitting the holders of plots to elect a Town Council. Formerly part of Stirlingshire, the town is presently within North Lanarkshire jurisdiction.
The ward is currently represented by three elected councillors; Jean Jones (Labour) David Key (SNP) and Mark Griffin, (Labour) who won a by-election on 31st Jan 2008 with 1855 votes to take his father's former seat.
Jamie Hepburn
MSP was elected as Cumbernauld and Kilsyth (Scottish Parliament constituency) member of the Scottish Parliament on 5 May 2011 with a majority of 3459. Since May 2010, Greg McClymont, http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/gregg_mcclymont/cumbernauld,_kilsyth_and_kirkintilloch_east has been the Westminster MP for the Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East (UK Parliament constituency).
Kilsyth Community Council
, as the locally elected representative body, is an active community group but enjoys very limited powers.
, Banton
, Queenzieburn
, and Twechar
are within easy walking distance from Kilsyth.
The town is easily accessible and ideally located for a day trip, family holiday, or as a base for a walking
, golf
, fishing
or touring holiday, by car
, canal boat
, horse
or bike
. Townhead reservoir, known locally as banton Loch is the site of the Battle of Kilsyth and is the main reservoir for the Fort and Clyde Canal. A marina has been developed at auchinstarry close to the climbing wall and lakes at the old quarry.
The town is overlooked by Kilsyth Lennox Golf Club which is one of the most picturesque courses in Central Scotland with a panoramic view across the Central Belt
of Scotland from the River Clyde in the west to the River Forth in the east. The original nine hole course was founded in 1899, in the Balmalloch area of the town, but moved in 1905 to the present position North East of the town. The club completed a new clubhouse in 1995 after a fire, and things continued to improve as time went on. Between 1997 and 2002, the majority of the greens and tees were redesigned by Rocky Roquemore
, the renowned American Golf Course architect who has built courses all over the world. The club hosts a Festival of Golf in the first week in July.
Kilsyth also has a public swimming pool, open seven days a week, and a range of recreational facilities, parks and gardens. It is also an accredited Walkers are Welcome
town.
Nearby attractions include the Falkirk Wheel
, a huge boat lift that connects the Union
and Forth & Clyde Canal
networks, and the Antonine Wall
– marking the northern edge of the Roman Empire
. Kilsyth is about 40 minutes from Glasgow
, Falkirk
, Stirling
and Edinburgh
by car, bus (new express link in 2011) or train from nearby Croy station
.
Kilsyth holds an international carnival (popularly known as KIC)in mid-August http://www.paperclip.org.uk/carnival.htm – in 2007 this was held on Sunday August 12 and headlined the Peatbog Faeries
and David Sneddon
. It is held in the grounds of the wooded Colzium estate nearby. Following a two year break, the carnival was relaunched in mid-August 2010 as a multi-day music, comedy and dance festival under the banner of the BIG KIC http://www.kic.me.uk, headlining Salsa Celtica
, Dougie MacLean
and Fred MacAulay.
Civic Week festivities are held in June each year, with the traditional crowning of the Civic Queen. The festival features a variety of cultural and sports activities. A Christmas Festival is held annually supported by The Rotary Club of Kilsyth (meets 6.30 Thursday in The Coachman Hotel).
The town is the home of Kilsyth Rangers F.C.
, who are the local junior team, and KCCFC who are a popular amateur team [www.bebo.com/kccfc], the Golden Gloves Boxing Club and many other organisations BB, Scouts, guides, Cheerleaders, gymnastics, swimming, tae kwan do, Rotaract, athletics, walking, senior citizens, blind and dsiabled, church groups etc etc.
Kilsyth has three primary schools: Kilsyth Primary and Balmalloch Primary and St Patrick's Primary School (Roman Catholic). Children from each school can progress to Kilsyth Academy while children from St Patrick's primary generally advance to St.Maurice's High located in nearby Cumbernauld
. Kilsyth Academy (G65 9NF) is situated on Corrie Road and it hosts a huge range of events throughout the year.
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...
and Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
in North Lanarkshire
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...
.
Location
Kilsyth is at 60 metres (196.9 ft) above sea level and occupies a narrow strip of land between the Kilsyth Hills to the north and the River KelvinRiver Kelvin
The Kelvin rises on watershed of Scotland on the moor south east of the village of Banton, east of Kilsyth - . At almost 22 miles long, it initially flows south to Dullatur Bog where it falls into a man made trench and takes a ninety degree turn flowing west along the northern boundary of the bog...
to the south. To the east and west it is bordered by marshland and 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. The centre of the town is close to the confluence of the Garrell and Ebroch burns.
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...
, Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
and 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...
, and is very close to the Roman Antonine Wall
Antonine Wall
The Antonine Wall is a stone and turf fortification built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde. Representing the northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire, it spanned approximately 39 miles and was about ten feet ...
, the Forth and Clyde Canal
Forth and Clyde Canal
The Forth and Clyde Canal crosses Scotland, providing a route for sea-going vessels between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde at the narrowest part of the Scottish Lowlands. The canal is 35 miles long and its eastern end is connected to the River Forth by a short stretch of the River...
and the main 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...
railway line, with the nearest railway station at Croy
Croy, North Lanarkshire
Croy is a village in North Lanarkshire), Scotland. A former mining community, Croy is situated some 21 km from Glasgow and 60 km from Edinburgh on the main railway line between the two cities, with a frequent service to both...
. The main A80/M80 motorway
M80 motorway
The M80 is a motorway in central Scotland, running through Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Falkirk and Stirling and links the M8, the M73 and M9 motorways. Following completion in 2011, this road is long. From 1992 - 2011, the road was in two sections; the southern section, Glasgow to Stepps and the...
is close by to the south. Formerly two separate stations existed in the town on separate, although linked, railway lines. One went to Glasgow, Maryhill while the other went via Banknock to Falkirk.
The town occupies a sheltered position in the Kelvin Valley
River Kelvin
The Kelvin rises on watershed of Scotland on the moor south east of the village of Banton, east of Kilsyth - . At almost 22 miles long, it initially flows south to Dullatur Bog where it falls into a man made trench and takes a ninety degree turn flowing west along the northern boundary of the bog...
, and is bisected by the A803 between Kirkintilloch
Kirkintilloch
Kirkintilloch is a town and former burgh in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the Forth and Clyde Canal, about eight miles northeast of central Glasgow...
and Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
. The old drovers' road from Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
, (the Tak Ma Doon Road), and the route south to 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...
via Auchinstarry Bridge
Auchinstarry
Auchinstarry is a village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK, near to Kilsyth, Dullatur and Queenzieburn. It is the site of a Roman fort.Auchinstarry Basin is on the Forth and Clyde Canal, and a £1.2m regeneration project has created a mooring basin for boats with 56 pontoon berths, a hard standing...
, intersect the A803
A803 road
The A803 is a road in central Scotland. It runs from Glasgow to Champany Corner .-Route:Beginning at Springburn in Glasgow, the A803 passes through the towns of Bishopbriggs, Kirkintilloch, Kilsyth, Banknock, Haggs, Bonnybridge, Falkirk, Laurieston, ending east of Linlithgow.It connects to the...
at Kilsyth.
History and development
There is archeological evidence of settlement since NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times
. The Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
recognised the strategic significance of Kilsyth with forts at Colziumbea (NS 7391 7774) and Castle Hill (NS 7091 7610) as well as the Antonine Wall forts of Bar Hill and Croy Hill which are clearly visible from the present-day town. In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Kilsyth held a key strategic position on one of the main routes across the narrowest part of Scotland and was the site of two castles (now destroyed) at Balcastle and Colzium
Colzium
Colzium House and Estate is about 500 metres to the north-east of Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire, Scotland...
shown in Timothy Pont
Timothy Pont
Timothy Pont was a Scottish topographer, the first to produce a detailed map of Scotland. Pont's maps are among the earliest surviving to show a European country in minute detail, from an actual survey.-Life:...
's map of 1580.
Battle of Kilsyth
The Battle of Kilsyth was an engagement of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms which took place on 15 August 1645 at Kilsyth. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the battle was another victory for Royalist forces over the Covenanters, and marked the end of William Baillie's pursuit of the...
took place on hillsides between Kilsyth and Banton, North Lanarkshire in 1645. Kilsyth was later closely associated with the various attempts by the Jacobites
Jacobitism
Jacobitism 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...
to regain the crown.
, and t mineral resources, especially coking coal, whinstone
Whinstone
Whinstone is a term used in the quarrying industry to describe any hard dark-coloured rock. Examples include the igneous rocks basalt and dolerite as well as the sedimentary rock chert....
, ironstone
Ironstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. The town economy has shifted over the past three centuries from farming, handloom 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...
and extractive industries
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...
to light engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
and service industries. Many of the townsfolk of working age now commute
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
to work in nearby 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...
and other larger towns nearby.
Kilsyth has claims to be the place where the winter sport
Winter sport
A winter sport is a sport which is played on snow or ice. Most such sports are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally such sports were only played in cold areas during winter, but artificial snow and ice allow more flexibility...
of curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
was first constituted. The town had the world's first curling club which survives to this day. Curling was played on the Curling Pond in the Colzium
Colzium
Colzium House and Estate is about 500 metres to the north-east of Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire, Scotland...
Estate in the east of the town.
In the 1950 s the town boasted as having the highest proportion of council housing in Europe as the old miner's rows and other slum accommodation was removed. In recent year a large number of small housing estates have been developed on either end of the town.
Religion and revivals
Following its foundation as an early monastic settlement, the town has a long tradition of radical protestantismProtestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
and was the scene of major revivals under the leadership of James Robe in 1742 and William Chalmers Burns
William Chalmers Burns
William Chalmers Burns was a Scottish Evangelist and Missionary to China with the English Presbyterian Mission who originated from Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire. He was the coordinator of the Overseas missions for the English Presbyterian church...
in 1839, part of the Second Great Awakening
Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a Christian revival movement during the early 19th century in the United States. The movement began around 1800, had begun to gain momentum by 1820, and was in decline by 1870. The Second Great Awakening expressed Arminian theology, by which every person could be...
. William Irvine
William Irvine (Scottish evangelist)
William Irvine was an evangelist from the late nineteenth century, and continuing through the first half of the twentieth century.Mr. Irvine was born in Kilsyth, located in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, the third of eleven children of a miner...
(Scottish evangelist and founder of the Two by Twos and Cooneyites
Cooneyites
The Cooneyites are a Protestant sect which split from the Two by Twos, originally called "the Tramps" or "the Go-Preachers" founded by William Irvine, often referred to today as "The Truth" or "Cooneyites". References to the term "Cooneyites" prior to 1928 refer to the group described under Two by...
sects) was born in Kilsyth in 1863. The formation of the new Pentecostal Church of God in 1902 led to further outbreaks of religious fervour in 1908. The influx of Roman Catholic immigrant workers from 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...
led to outbreaks of sectarian violence at the Duntreath Arms Inn (adjacent to Innsbridge) in 1905, which followed a mistaken visit by an Orange band which disembarked at Croy and marched to Kilsyth. The Riot Act was read at the ensuing battle. It was one of the two 'dry towns' from the 1920 s to 1960 s when a poll dictated that no alcohol would be sold. This was a result of the amount of drinking by miners and the consequent poverty and violence at home. Sunday walks over the Tak Ma Doon Road to the Carronbridge Hotel were popular. Today, Kilsyth is a more tolerant town with a wide variety of faiths which co-exist in harmony through the auspices of the ecumenical "Kirks The Gither" movement.
Administration
The ward is currently represented by three elected councillors; Jean Jones (Labour) David Key (SNP) and Mark Griffin, (Labour) who won a by-election on 31st Jan 2008 with 1855 votes to take his father's former seat.
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...
MSP was elected as Cumbernauld and Kilsyth (Scottish Parliament constituency) member of the Scottish Parliament on 5 May 2011 with a majority of 3459. Since May 2010, Greg McClymont, http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/gregg_mcclymont/cumbernauld,_kilsyth_and_kirkintilloch_east has been the Westminster MP for the Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East (UK Parliament constituency).
Kilsyth Community Council
Community council
A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain.In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies...
, as the locally elected representative body, is an active community group but enjoys very limited powers.
Attractions and events
Kilsyth has many of the elements associated with a Scottish market town, including a pedestrianised Main Street with a wide range of local and specialist independent shops http://www.paperclip.org.uk/kilsythweb/Business/shops.htm, attractive parks and gardens at Burngreen and Colzium complete with bandstands, welcoming hostelries http://www.paperclip.org.uk/kilsythweb/Tourism/kilsyth_scotland_hotels.htm such as the Coachman Hotel The Boathouse and The Scarecrow pub, and a choice of local restaurants - European, Indian, chinese and fish 'n' chips. http://www.paperclip.org.uk/kilsythweb/Tourism/Kilsyth_Scotland_Restaurants.htm. The nearby villages of CroyCroy, North Lanarkshire
Croy is a village in North Lanarkshire), Scotland. A former mining community, Croy is situated some 21 km from Glasgow and 60 km from Edinburgh on the main railway line between the two cities, with a frequent service to both...
, Banton
Banton, Scotland
Banton is a village located near to the town of Kilsyth in Scotland. Originally a cluster of houses and a farm to the north was what existed of the village and then coal-mining brought about the settlement we see today...
, Queenzieburn
Queenzieburn
-External links:*...
, and Twechar
Twechar
Twechar is a small former mining village in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies between the larger towns of Kirkintilloch and Kilsyth.The Forth and Clyde Canal runs close to the village to the north, and closely follows the line of the Antonine Wall...
are within easy walking distance from Kilsyth.
The town is easily accessible and ideally located for a day trip, family holiday, or as a base for a walking
Walking
Walking is one of the main gaits of locomotion among legged animals, and is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
or touring holiday, by car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
, canal boat
Canal boat
There are three articles associated with canal watercraft:* The Volunteer - A replica 1848 canal boat docked on the Illinois and Michigan Canal at LaSalle, Illinois* Narrowboat - a specialized craft for operation in early narrow canals...
, horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
or bike
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
. Townhead reservoir, known locally as banton Loch is the site of the Battle of Kilsyth and is the main reservoir for the Fort and Clyde Canal. A marina has been developed at auchinstarry close to the climbing wall and lakes at the old quarry.
The town is overlooked by Kilsyth Lennox Golf Club which is one of the most picturesque courses in Central Scotland with a panoramic view across the Central Belt
Central Belt
The Central Belt of Scotland is a common term used to describe the area of highest population density within Scotland. Despite the name, it is not geographically central but is nevertheless situated at the 'waist' of Scotland on a conventional map and the term 'central' is used in many local...
of Scotland from the River Clyde in the west to the River Forth in the east. The original nine hole course was founded in 1899, in the Balmalloch area of the town, but moved in 1905 to the present position North East of the town. The club completed a new clubhouse in 1995 after a fire, and things continued to improve as time went on. Between 1997 and 2002, the majority of the greens and tees were redesigned by Rocky Roquemore
Rocky Roquemore
Rocky Roquemore is an international golf course designer. He runs a small Newnan, Georgia, USA based design company that has built a number of popular courses in Portugal and Scotland as well as numerous American links.Sources:...
, the renowned American Golf Course architect who has built courses all over the world. The club hosts a Festival of Golf in the first week in July.
Kilsyth also has a public swimming pool, open seven days a week, and a range of recreational facilities, parks and gardens. It is also an accredited Walkers are Welcome
Walkers are Welcome
The Walkers are Welcome scheme is a community-led initiative operating in England, Scotland and Wales. The scheme promotes towns and communities as 'walker-friendly', based on a number of criteria, aiming to benefit local economies by attracting tourism....
town.
Nearby attractions include the Falkirk Wheel
Falkirk Wheel
The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift located in Scotland, UK,connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal, opened in 2002. It is named after the nearby town of Falkirk which is in central Scotland...
, a huge boat lift that connects the Union
Union Canal (Scotland)
The Union Canal is a 31.5-mile canal in Scotland, from Lochrin Basin, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh to Falkirk, where it meets the Forth and Clyde Canal.-Location and features:...
and Forth & Clyde Canal
Forth and Clyde Canal
The Forth and Clyde Canal crosses Scotland, providing a route for sea-going vessels between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde at the narrowest part of the Scottish Lowlands. The canal is 35 miles long and its eastern end is connected to the River Forth by a short stretch of the River...
networks, and the Antonine Wall
Antonine Wall
The Antonine Wall is a stone and turf fortification built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde. Representing the northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire, it spanned approximately 39 miles and was about ten feet ...
– marking the northern edge of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. Kilsyth is about 40 minutes from 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...
, Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
, Stirling
Stirling
Stirling is a city and former ancient burgh in Scotland, and is at the heart of the wider Stirling council area. The city is clustered around a large fortress and medieval old-town beside the River Forth...
and 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...
by car, bus (new express link in 2011) or train from nearby Croy station
Croy railway station
Croy railway station serves the towns of Croy and Kilsyth, as well as part of Cumbernauld, in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Located on the Glasgow to Edinburgh via Falkirk Line 18 km north east of Glasgow Queen Street, it is also served by SPT services on the Croy Line...
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Kilsyth holds an international carnival (popularly known as KIC)in mid-August http://www.paperclip.org.uk/carnival.htm – in 2007 this was held on Sunday August 12 and headlined the Peatbog Faeries
Peatbog Faeries
The Peatbog Faeries are a largely instrumental Celtic fusion band. Formed in 1991, they are based in Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.Their music embodies many styles and influences, including folk, electronica, rock and jazz, - but their main influence is traditional celtic music...
and David Sneddon
David Sneddon
David Sneddon is a Scottish musician and singer-songwriter.He has performed on British television, radio and theatre. Sneddon won the first BBC UK series of Fame Academy in 2002...
. It is held in the grounds of the wooded Colzium estate nearby. Following a two year break, the carnival was relaunched in mid-August 2010 as a multi-day music, comedy and dance festival under the banner of the BIG KIC http://www.kic.me.uk, headlining Salsa Celtica
Salsa Celtica
Salsa Celtica are a Scottish musical group famed for playing a form of music that is a fusion of salsa music with traditional Scottish instruments, including elements of folk and jazz.-History:...
, Dougie MacLean
Dougie MacLean
Dougie MacLean OBE is a Scottish singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist.His career started with a traditional band, The Tannahill Weavers, in 1976. His solo career started in 1981 and since then he has recorded numerous albums...
and Fred MacAulay.
Civic Week festivities are held in June each year, with the traditional crowning of the Civic Queen. The festival features a variety of cultural and sports activities. A Christmas Festival is held annually supported by The Rotary Club of Kilsyth (meets 6.30 Thursday in The Coachman Hotel).
The town is the home of Kilsyth Rangers F.C.
Kilsyth Rangers F.C.
Kilsyth Rangers Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the town of Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire. Nicknamed The Wee Gers, they were formed in 1913 and play at Duncansfield Park, one of the bigger non-league football grounds in Scotland...
, who are the local junior team, and KCCFC who are a popular amateur team [www.bebo.com/kccfc], the Golden Gloves Boxing Club and many other organisations BB, Scouts, guides, Cheerleaders, gymnastics, swimming, tae kwan do, Rotaract, athletics, walking, senior citizens, blind and dsiabled, church groups etc etc.
Kilsyth has three primary schools: Kilsyth Primary and Balmalloch Primary and St Patrick's Primary School (Roman Catholic). Children from each school can progress to Kilsyth Academy while children from St Patrick's primary generally advance to St.Maurice's High located in nearby 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...
. Kilsyth Academy (G65 9NF) is situated on Corrie Road and it hosts a huge range of events throughout the year.
Sources
- Incorporates material from http://www.paperclip.org.uk/kilsyth.htm, http://www.banton.n-lanark.sch.uk/ and http://www.kelvinvalleypark.info/ made available under the GFDLGNU Free Documentation LicenseThe GNU Free Documentation License is a copyleft license for free documentation, designed by the Free Software Foundation for the GNU Project. It is similar to the GNU General Public License, giving readers the rights to copy, redistribute, and modify a work and requires all copies and...
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