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Airdrie (; sco, Airdrie; gd, An t-Àrd Ruigh) is a town in
North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire ( sco, North Lanrikshire; gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Tuath) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It als ...
,
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. It lies on a
plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...
roughly 400 ft (130 m) above
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardis ...
, and is approximately 12 miles (19 km) east of
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
city centre. , the town had a population of around 37,130.
Historically History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
part of
Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland. Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotl ...
, Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour
Coatbridge Coatbridge ( sco, Cotbrig or Coatbrig, gd, Drochaid a' Chòta) is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. Along with neighbouring town Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Airdrie, Coatbrid ...
, in what is commonly known as the Monklands, formerly a
district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...
. (population approximately 90,000 including outlying settlements).


Name

Airdrie's name first appeared in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland (Registrum Magni Sigilii Regum Scotorum) in 1373 as Ardre. By 1546 it had become Ardry and by 1587 it was known as Ardrie. In 1630 it finally appeared in the Register as Airdrie. Given the topography of the area, the most likely interpretation is that the name derives from the Gaelic ''An Àrd Ruigh'' meaning a level height or high pasture land. Another possibility is that it is from the Gaelic ''An Àrd Àirighe'' meaning a sheiling, a summer pasture/shepherd's hut. A third possibility is the Gaelic ''Ard Reidh'' meaning a high plain. A further, non-Gaelic alternative is the
Brythonic Brittonic or Brythonic may refer to: *Common Brittonic, or Brythonic, the Celtic language anciently spoken in Great Britain *Brittonic languages, a branch of the Celtic languages descended from Common Brittonic *Britons (Celtic people) The Br ...
, i.e.
Cumbric Cumbric was a variety of the Common Brittonic language spoken during the Early Middle Ages in the '' Hen Ogledd'' or "Old North" in what is now the counties of Westmorland, Cumberland and northern Lancashire in Northern England and the south ...
or North
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...
, ''ard tref'' (becoming ardre by process of assimilation), meaning a high steading or farmstead, which would date back to the times of the
Kingdom of Strathclyde Strathclyde (lit. " Strath of the River Clyde", and Strað-Clota in Old English), was a Brittonic successor state of the Roman Empire and one of the early medieval kingdoms of the Britons, located in the region the Welsh tribes referred to as ...
, before the expansion of Gaelic or English speech into the region.
Airthrey Castle Airthrey Castle is a historic building and estate which now forms part of the buildings and grounds of the University of Stirling in central Scotland. The 18th-century building with 19th-century additions occupies a beautiful setting in ...
in Stirlingshire may have a similar derivation.


Geography


Satellite villages

Chapelhall Chapelhall (from the Gaelic Seipeal Allt - Chapel by a burn) is a village outside the town of Airdrie in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. With house building, the distinction between Airdrie and Chapelhall is being eroded. Established as a small m ...
,
Calderbank Calderbank is a village outside the town of Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies west of the M73, on the west bank of the North Calder Water. The village lies east of Glasgow city centre and around west of Edinburgh. Other nearby ...
,
Caldercruix Caldercruix is a semi-rural village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The nearest major town is Airdrie, to the west. It has a population of about 2,440. The village is about east of Glasgow and west of Edinburgh. The local Church of Scotl ...
, Gartness,
Glenmavis Glenmavis is a village in the North Lanarkshire area of Scotland. It is about northwest of Airdrie on the B802 road. It has a population of around () Etymology The etymology of the name is ‘glen of the song-thrush’. History Strictly s ...
,
Greengairs Greengairs is a village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. Greengairs is shown on a map by Roy c.1754 under the name of Green Geirs. In toponymy the name means "green strips of grass". Lying southeast of Cumbernauld and north east of Airdrie, th ...
,
Longriggend Longriggend is a village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, with a population of approximately 200. It is situated on moorland 8 km north-east of Airdrie, in the parish of New Monkland. It is roughly half way between Upperton and Calder ...
,
Plains In geography, a plain is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and as plateaus or uplands. In ...
,
Stand Stand or The Stand may refer to: * To assume the upright position of standing * Forest stand, a group of trees * Area of seating in a stadium, such as bleachers * Stand (cricket), a relationship between two players * Stand (drill pipe), 2 or 3 ...
, Upperton, Newhouse and Wattston are generally considered satellite villages of Airdrie.


Wards

Since the most recent major reorganisation in 2006,
North Lanarkshire Council North Lanarkshire ( sco, North Lanrikshire; gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Tuath) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also ...
divides Airdrie into the following wards, each electing four councillors since the 2017 election: * Ward 7 – Airdrie North (2019 population 20,137): Glenmavis, Caldercruix, Plains, Burnfoot, Thrashbush, Rochsoles, Holehills, Clarkston, Greengairs, Longriggend * Ward 8 – Airdrie Central (2019 population 16,354): Airdrie Town Centre, Whinhall, Coatdyke, Gartlea, North Cairnhill, Central Park Area, Rawyards * Ward 11 – Airdrie South (2019 population 19,934): Craignuek, Petersburn, Moffat Mills, Chapelhall, Calderbank, Brownsburn, South Cairnhill, Gartness


History


Early history

There is no evidence to support the claim ( George Chalmers, Caledonia) that Airdrie is the site of the ancient battle of Arderyth. Under the patronage of King Malcolm IV of Scotland Cistercian monks established an abbey at
Melrose Melrose may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Melrose, Scottish Borders, a town in the Scottish Borders, Scotland ** Melrose Abbey, ruined monastery ** Melrose RFC, rugby club Australia * Melrose, Queensland, a locality in the South Burnett R ...
in 1136. Five years later a daughter house was founded at
Newbattle Abbey Newbattle Abbey ( gd, Abaid a' Bhatail Nuaidh) was a Cistercian monastery near the village of Newbattle in Midlothian, Scotland, which subsequently become a stately home and then an educational institution. Monastery It was founded in 1140 by ...
in Lothian. In 1160, Malcolm granted lands in central Scotland to the monks of Newbattle. These became known as the "Munklands" (Register of the Great Seal 1323). Malcolm's Charter constitutes the oldest documentary record of place-names in the Monklands. The area of land granted by the Charter is clearly defined by direct reference to geographical and topographical features thus: ''Dunpeldre by its right boundaries, namely with Metheraugh and Mayeuth and Clarnephin as far as Dunduffes in the east.'' The name ''Dunpeldre'' is found in the modern name Drumpellier, ''Metheraugh'' is Medrox; ''Mayeuth'' is Myvot and ''Clarnephin'' refers to the
North Calder Water The North Calder Water is a river in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It flows for from the Black Loch (in the Falkirk council area) via the Hillend Reservoir, Caldercruix, Plains, Airdrie, Calderbank, Carnbroe and Viewpark to the River Clyde at D ...
in the east of the parish (from old Brittonic name ''claur n afon'' meaning plain of the river). ''Dunduffes'' has become directly translated into the modern Black Hill which, as the Charter states, lies at the eastern extremity of the parish. The Charter does not mention anything resembling Airdrie, although this is where Airdrie is located. Airdrie owes its existence to its location on the 'Hogs Back' – a ridge of land running from east to west. One very important aspect of the town's history was the
Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint B ...
monks of
Newbattle Abbey Newbattle Abbey ( gd, Abaid a' Bhatail Nuaidh) was a Cistercian monastery near the village of Newbattle in Midlothian, Scotland, which subsequently become a stately home and then an educational institution. Monastery It was founded in 1140 by ...
, which is why the area is called the Monklands. The monks were farmers and some of their place names survive, e.g., Ryefield and Whifflet (the wheat flats). Much of the land they used is known today as 'The Four Isles' (a housing estate named after four Scottish islands): Mull,
Islay Islay ( ; gd, Ìle, sco, Ila) is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Known as "The Queen of the Hebrides", it lies in Argyll just south west of Jura and around north of the Northern Irish coast. The island's capital ...
,
Iona Iona (; gd, Ì Chaluim Chille (IPA: �iːˈxaɫ̪ɯimˈçiʎə, sometimes simply ''Ì''; sco, Iona) is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though ther ...
and
Luing Luing ( ; Gaelic: ''Luinn'') is one of the Slate Islands, Firth of Lorn, in the west of Argyll in Scotland, about south of Oban. The island has an area of and is bounded by several small skerries and islets. It has a population of around 200 peo ...
in the Petersburn area of modern Airdrie. The
monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...
s of Newbattle had numerous establishments throughout the area including a
farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is use ...
grange at Drumpellier, Coatbridge, a court house at
Kipps ''Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul'' is a novel by H. G. Wells, first published in 1905. It was reportedly Wells's own favourite among his works, and it has been adapted for stage, cinema and television productions, including the musical '' ...
, a
chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common type ...
in the area of Chapelhall and a number of corn
mills Mills is the plural form of mill, but may also refer to: As a name * Mills (surname), a common family name of English or Gaelic origin * Mills (given name) *Mills, a fictional British secret agent in a trilogy by writer Manning O'Brine Places Uni ...
. The Monks were also expert in the construction of roads. In the 12th century, they established the original Glasgow to
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
road via Airdrie and
Bathgate Bathgate ( sco, Bathket or , gd, Both Chèit) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, west of Livingston and adjacent to the M8 motorway. Nearby towns are Armadale, Blackburn, Linlithgow, Livingston, West Calder and Whitburn. Situated south ...
, to link up with their lands in Newbattle in
East Lothian East Lothian (; sco, East Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Ear) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, as well as a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area. The county was called Haddingtonshire until 1921. In 1975, the his ...
. 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 University Hospital Monklands is a district general hospital in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It serves a population of approximately 260,000 people of North and South Lanarkshire council areas and is managed by NHS Lanarkshire. Hist ...
), Aitchison Street, High Street, Hallcraig Street, Flowerhill Street and Colliertree Road. The first houses in Airdrie were built along this road. Development was slow and it was only around 1650 that evidence of the number of
inhabitants Domicile is relevant to an individual's "personal law," which includes the law that governs a person's status and their property. It is independent of a person's nationality. Although a domicile may change from time to time, a person has only one ...
was known at around 500 for the Airdrie area. A large contingent of Airdrieonians fought at the
Battle of Bothwell Brig A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
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 is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal ...
industry. Airdrie Weavers Society was founded in 1781 and
flax Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. Textiles made from flax are known in ...
was being grown in sixteen farms in and around the
burgh A burgh is an autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland and Northern England, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Bur ...
. In the last decade of the eighteenth century,
coal mining Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
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 The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...
, Airdrie became a major centre of support for the
Radical War The Radical War, also known as the Scottish Insurrection of 1820, was a week of strikes and unrest in Scotland, a culmination of Radical demands for reform in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland which had become prominent in the ear ...
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 Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of parliame ...
, Airdrie became a free and independent
Burgh of Barony A burgh of barony was a type of Scottish town ( burgh). Burghs of barony were distinct from royal burghs, as the title was granted to a landowner who, as a tenant-in-chief, held his estates directly from the crown. (In some cases, they might also ...
.
Voting Voting is a method by which a group, such as a meeting or an electorate, can engage for the purpose of making a collective decision or expressing an opinion usually following discussions, debates or election campaigns. Democracies elect holde ...
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 A town crier, also called a bellman, is an officer of a royal court or public authority who makes public pronouncements as required. Duties and functions The town crier was used to make public announcements in the streets. Criers often dress ...
. Anyone who had paid their 3
guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...
was allowed to vote; there is even a record of a John Mackay voting despite being under 10 years old. In 1824, it was decided to build the Airdrie Town House, originally designed by Alexander Baird and now a local landmark known as the 'town clock'. In 1832, the Town House was used as a hospital due to the
cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium '' Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting an ...
outbreak of this year.


1850 to 1920

The enormous growth in population was not due to high birthrate, but instead due to an influx of residents from the
Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...
and predominantly Ireland. This followed the Highland potato famine of the mid-1840s and also reflected the change from cottage industry to
heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...
in the area. Most of the Irish immigrant population were involved with
mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the econom ...
and labouring. This led to an increase in ironwork
foundries A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
around the area. Because of this explosion in industry,
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...
links were established starting in 1826. By 1862, the Airdrie and Bathgate Junction Railway provided a direct link to Edinburgh with Airdrie South Station providing the starting point for trains to Glasgow. In August the Public Libraries Act (Scotland) 1853 was passed, and in November Airdrie Public Library became the first in Scotland. The dramatic rise in population and industry prompted the need for more accessible water supplies. Until the mid-1800s, various wells were put in place feeding from surrounding streams in the area. These served to provide many houses with private wells. By 1846 Airdrie and Coatbridge Water Company was founded to construct (along with Forth and Clyde Canal Company) the reservoir at Roughrigg. Journalism in Airdrie began with "The Airdrie Literary Album" in 1828. Several local newspapers began appearing around this time notably the
Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser The ''Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser'' is a tabloid newspaper published by Scottish and Universal Newspapers, a division of Reach plc, in Airdrie and Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire. The ''Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser'' is a weekly newspap ...
in 1855, which is still the most popular local paper today. The prison was legalised in 1859 and had 51 cells. Airdrie Working Men's Club was established in 1869. Also around this time,
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
and
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...
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 Airdrieonians Football Club is a Scottish professional football team in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, who are members of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and play in Scottish League One. They were formed in 2002 as Airdrie United ...
. Horse race meetings were also held in the town (1851–1870) but this land became the golf course for the newly formed Airdrie Golf Club in 1877.
Education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...
posed a major problem with severe overcrowding in the few schools available, therefore three new school boards were established. In the early 1830s there were about 800 pupils while the town had about 7000 residents. 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 1849 and by 1919 all school boards were dissolved and Lanarkshire Education Authority took over responsibility for education throughout
Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark ( gd, Siorrachd Lannraig; sco, Lanrikshire), is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the central Lowlands of Scotland. Lanarkshire is the most populous county in Scotl ...
. Airdrie Public Observatory, one of only four public observatories in the UK (Second Oldest and Smallest)- all in Scotland, was founded in the first library building in 1896, and is still operated in the present building by the Airdrie Astronomical Association a Scottish astronautic and
astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...
society and registered charity. By the turn of the century
variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a co ...
s were becoming popular in the area and by 1911 the Pavilion in Graham Street was built which after initially being used as a music hall started showing cinematographic pictures. Unfortunately it was destroyed by fire in 1917 but was rebuilt in 1919 and finally closed in 1970. The New Cinema was opened in 1920 in Broomknoll Street but it too has since closed. The town had no suitable venue for larger functions so in 1912 the Sir John Wilson Town Hall was opened (following an offer of £10,000 from Sir John Wilson). On 9 July 1918 nineteen miners died in the Stanrigg Pit Disaster. The pit was situated in boggy land and collapsed after being saturated by heavy rainfall.


1920 onwards

At the end of the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, Airdrie was hard hit with many casualties from the war. Unemployment reached 30% in the local area. After years of moving from one site to another, the first purpose built library in Airdrie was opened in Anderson Street in 1895. However, this only lasted 30 years until the current Airdrie Library building was erected in 1925. Conditions in the town did not really improve until well after the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
but in 1949 the
Boots A boot is a type of footwear. Boot or Boots may also refer to: Businesses * Boot Inn, Chester, Cheshire, England * Boots (company), a high-street pharmacy chain and manufacturer of pharmaceuticals in the United Kingdom * The Boot, Cromer St ...
pharmaceutical company The pharmaceutical industry discovers, develops, produces, and markets drugs or pharmaceutical drugs for use as medications to be administered to patients (or self-administered), with the aim to cure them, vaccinate them, or alleviate sympt ...
and Banner Textiles Ltd were attracted to the town (between them employing 1200). With this impetus, new companies began to consider Airdrie as a viable option for business and in 1958 Pye opened employing over 1000 people. The emergence of industrial estates was also prevalent around this time (Newhouse, Chapelhall, and Brownsburn). The Airdrie Arts Centre opened in 1967 in the former Airdrie Library building, and was a popular venue for concerts and plays, but was closed in 2012 by North Lanarkshire Council. Between 1964 and 1991, the town was the location of a
Royal Observer Corps The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was a civil defence organisation intended for the visual detection, identification, tracking and reporting of aircraft over Great Britain. It operated in the United Kingdom between 29 October 1925 and 31 Decembe ...
monitoring bunker, to be used in the event of a nuclear attack. No trace remains today. The 1970s saw the opening of
Monklands Hospital University Hospital Monklands is a district general hospital in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It serves a population of approximately 260,000 people of North and South Lanarkshire council areas and is managed by NHS Lanarkshire. Hist ...
, which replaced an older hospital on the Airdrie House estate. Airdrie hosted the National Mòd in 1993.List of Mod's places
for each year on
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig () (Great Barn of Ostaig) is a public higher education college situated in the Sleat peninsula in the south of the Isle of Skye, with an associate campus at Bowmore on the island of Islay, Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle (th ...
website


Sport


Angling

Airdrie is a popular destination for anglers from across the Central Belt, due to its lochs and reservoirs. These include: Airdrie & District Angling Club based at Hillend Loch.


Athletics

Airdrie Harriers, one of North Lanarkshire's athletics clubs.


Football

The town's major
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
club is Airdrieonians F.C., who play in the
Scottish League One The Scottish League One, known as cinch League One for sponsorship reasons, is the third tier of the Scottish Professional Football League, the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottish League One was ...
, and are based at the
Excelsior Stadium The Excelsior Stadium, is a Association football, football stadium in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is the home ground of Airdrieonians F.C., Airdrieonians of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). Since the 2021–22 season ...
. They were formed as a replacement for the original
Airdrieonians Airdrieonians Football Club is a Scottish professional football team in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, who are members of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) and play in Scottish League One. They were formed in 2002 as Airdrie United ...
, who folded in May 2002.


Golf

Airdrie Golf Club was established in 1877. It is a wooded parkland par 69 course with tight fairways and well-protected greens.


Motor sport

The Monklands Sporting Car Club runs its events at the
Forrestburn Hillclimb Forrestburn Speed Hill Climb is a hillclimb track rising from 221m to 246m AOD with a maximum gradient of 1:4 near Kirk o' Shotts in North Lanarkshire, central Scotland. The track opened in 1993, and was the first purpose-built hillclimb track ...
situated about 5 miles east of Airdrie.


Rugby union

Airdrie was home to its own rugby union team called Waysiders RFC. This team was amalgamated to form Waysiders Drumpellier RFC which currently play out of Drumpellier RFC's traditional home ground in Langloan, Coatbridge.


Sailing

The Monklands Sailing Club is based at Hillend Loch by
Caldercruix Caldercruix is a semi-rural village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The nearest major town is Airdrie, to the west. It has a population of about 2,440. The village is about east of Glasgow and west of Edinburgh. The local Church of Scotl ...
.


Tennis

*Springwells Lawn Tennis Club. A member of the West of Scotland District and LTA County, divisions of Tennis Scotland.


Culture


Places of interest

* Airdrie Public Library * Airdrie Public Observatory *Arran View - villa built by
Alexander Thomson Alexander "Greek" Thomson (9 April 1817 – 22 March 1875) was an eminent Scottish architect and architectural theorist who was a pioneer in sustainable building. Although his work was published in the architectural press of his day, it was l ...
in 1867. *
Black Hill transmitting station The Black Hill transmitting station is a facility for FM and TV broadcasting at Black Hill (), on Duntilland Road, Salsburgh, North Lanarkshire, Scotland which is near the town of Airdrie. It has a guyed mast tall, bringing the antennas to a he ...
*Centenary and West End Parks – including the Airdrie
Cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...
* Monkland Canal – where the Vulcan, the world's first iron boat, was constructed and launched in 1819. *New Monklands Parish Church *The Wallace Stone – legend tells that
William Wallace Sir William Wallace ( gd, Uilleam Uallas, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army ...
sharpened his sword on this stone on his way to the
Battle of Falkirk The Battle of Falkirk (''Blàr na h-Eaglaise Brice'' in Gaelic), on 22 July 1298, was one of the major battles in the First War of Scottish Independence. Led by King Edward I of England, the English army defeated the Scots, led by William Wa ...
.


Organisations

*The Moira Anderson Foundation, a national charity providing support for those affected by childhood sexual abuse


Governance

Airdrie is represented by several tiers of elected government.
North Lanarkshire Council North Lanarkshire ( sco, North Lanrikshire; gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Tuath) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also ...
, the unitary
local authority Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...
for Airdrie, is based at
Motherwell Motherwell ( sco, Mitherwall, gd, Tobar na Màthar) is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Historically in the parish of Dalziel and part of Lana ...
, and is the
executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive di ...
,
deliberative Deliberative rhetoric (Greek: ''genos'' ''symbouleutikon;'' Latin: ''genus deliberativum,'' sometimes called legislative oratory) is one of the three kinds of rhetoric described by Aristotle. Deliberative rhetoric juxtaposes potential future outcome ...
and
legislative A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known ...
body responsible for
local governance Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...
. The
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyr ...
is responsible for devolved matters such as
education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...
,
health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organ ...
and
justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
, while reserved matters are dealt with by the
Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprem ...
.


Westminster

The town forms part of the
burgh constituency A burgh constituency is a type of parliamentary constituency in Scotland. It is a constituency which is predominantly urban, and on this basis has been designated as a burgh constituency. They are the successors of the historic parliamentary bur ...
of Airdrie and Shotts, electing one
Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
(MP) to the
House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...
. In 2005, changes to the constituency boundaries saw part of its area transferred to Motherwell and Wishaw, offset by the addition of part of Hamilton North and Bellshill. The location has been represented by several prominent Labour MPs in recent years: * John Smith, MP for North Lanarkshire 1970–1983 and Monklands East 1983–1994 (Eastern Coatbridge and Airdrie area). Former
Shadow Chancellor The 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 given at the gift of the Leader of the Opposition and ...
and then leader of the Labour Party until his untimely death in 1994. *
Helen Liddell Helen Lawrie Liddell, Baroness Liddell of Coatdyke PC (' Reilly; born 6 December 1950) is a British politician and life peer who served as Secretary of State for Scotland from 2001 to 2003 and British High Commissioner to Australia from 2005 to ...
, MP for Monklands East 1994–1997, Airdrie and Shotts 1997–2005,
Secretary of State for Scotland The secretary of state for Scotland ( gd, Rùnaire Stàite na h-Alba; sco, Secretar o State fir Scotland), also referred to as the Scottish secretary, is a Secretary of State (United Kingdom), secretary of state in the Government of the Unit ...
and subsequently Britain's High Commissioner to Australia. * John Reid, MP for Airdrie and Shotts 2005–2010, a high-profile minister including as the first
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
to be appointed
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...
. The current MP for the constituency is the
Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from th ...
's
Anum Qaisar Anum Qaisar, previously Anum Qaisar-Javed (born 11 September 1992) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Airdrie and Shotts since 2021. Early life Qaisar was born to a Scottish Pakist ...
.


Scottish Parliament

For the purposes of the
Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyr ...
, Airdrie forms part of the Airdrie and Shotts constituency. This has slightly different boundaries from those of the UK Parliament constituency of the same name. The current
Member of the Scottish Parliament Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP; gd, Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba, BPA; sco, Memmer o the Scots Pairliament, MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. Electoral system The add ...
(MSP) for Airdrie and Shotts is Neil Grey MSP (
Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party (SNP; sco, Scots National Pairty, gd, Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba ) is a Scottish nationalist and social democratic political party in Scotland. The SNP supports and campaigns for Scottish independence from th ...
), who won this seat in 2021. In addition to this, Airdrie is represented by seven regional MSPs from the Central Scotland electoral region.


European Parliament

Before
Brexit Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the Withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 Greenwich Mean Time, GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 Central Eur ...
, it was part of the Scotland European Parliament constituency.


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 Council Strathclyde ( in Gaelic, meaning "strath (valley) of the River Clyde") was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Government ...
. 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 was the name of a political scandal in the former Scottish local government district of Monklands (now part of North Lanarkshire) which dominated the Monklands East by-election in 1994. Monklandsgate consisted of allegations of s ...
greatly tarnished the Council's reputation. After 1996, it came under the authority of the unitary
North Lanarkshire Council North Lanarkshire ( sco, North Lanrikshire; gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Tuath) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also ...
. North Lanarkshire has many councillors; currently, the council is in control of the Labour group and the leader of the council is Jim Logue, councillor for Airdrie Central.


Law


Police

Policing in Airdrie is undertaken by
Police Scotland Police Scotland ( gd, Poileas Alba), officially the Police Service of Scotland (), is the national police force of Scotland. It was formed in 2013, through the merging of eight regional police forces in Scotland, as well as the specialist service ...
. Airdrie is part of Coatbridge Area Command with
Chief Inspector Chief inspector (Ch Insp) is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police (CIP). Usage by country Australia The rank of chief inspector is us ...
Kenny MacLeod as the Area Commander. Airdrie also forms part of NA (or Monklands) sub division which includes Coatbridge and the surrounding area. There is one police office in Airdrie and this is open 24 hours.


Sheriff Court

Airdrie Sheriff Court provides a comprehensive local court service for the area including civil actions and criminal cases. It is administered by the
Scottish Court Service , type = , seal = , logo = 250px , logo_caption = , formed = , jurisdiction = Scotland , headquarters = Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh EH11 3XD , employees = 1,374 , budget = £129.3 million (2015-2016) , chief1_name = Lor ...
and part of the South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway
Sheriffdom A sheriffdom is a judicial district in Scotland, led by a sheriff principal. Since 1 January 1975, there have been six sheriffdoms. Each sheriffdom is divided into a series of sheriff court districts, and each sheriff court is presided over by a r ...
headed by a
Sheriff Principal In Scotland a sheriff principal (''pl''. sheriffs principal) is a judge in charge of a sheriffdom with judicial, quasi-judicial, and administrative responsibilities. Sheriffs principal have been part of the judiciary of Scotland since the 11 ...
.


Other

*The
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is the independent public prosecution service for Scotland, and is a Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government. The department is headed by His Majesty's Lord Advocate, who under the ...
, 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 A children's hearing is part of the legal and welfare systems in Scotland; it aims to combine justice and welfare for children and young people. As of 31 March 2020, 8,875 of Scotland's children were subject to a compulsory supervision order. ...
within the town. The Centre is part of the Central West Region of the
Scottish Children's Reporter Administration The Scottish Children's Reporter Administration (SCRA) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government, with responsibility for protecting children at risk. SCRA was formed under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1994 ...
.


Economy


Overview

As outlined in the history section, Airdrie's traditional economic activities of weaving, coal mining, and heavy industry have ceased to exist. Although the
Glenflagler Glenflagler distillery, (also known as Glen Flagler) was located in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, produced the Lowland Single Malts, Lowland single malt whisky Glen Flagler. Glen Flagler distillation commenced on 25 February 1965 and the ...
Distillery is now closed, the town still retains a strong involvement in the
whisky Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden ca ...
industry. Airdrie was also home to a Crimpy Crisps factory. Given its location near to Glasgow and other commercial or industrial areas, Airdrie might now be considered something of a commuter town. In fact, housing construction in Airdrie has been very prominent in recent years, with builders developing a number of
brownfield In urban planning, brownfield land is any previously developed land that is not currently in use. It may be potentially contaminated, but this is not required for the area to be considered brownfield. The term is also used to describe land pre ...
sites following the closure of various factories such as Boots (who closed their factory in 2004). Nonetheless, it does retain significant economic activity.


Notable employers

*Albert Bartlett & Sons, a supplier of root vegetables in the UK. The Bartlett brothers, Alan, 52, and Ronnie, 44 are jointly ranked in The Sunday Times Rich List 2008 as the 63rd richest persons in Scotland and the 969th richest persons in the UK with a worth valued at £80 million. *
Inver House Distillers Limited Inver House Distillers Limited is a malt whisky distiller, based in Airdrie, Scotland. The company is a subsidiary of ThaiBev, one of the largest alcoholic-beverage companies in Southeast Asia. Inver House Distillers owns and operates five dis ...
, headquarters and warehousing in Airdrie. Products include Old Pulteney, Balblair,
Heather Cream Inver House Distillers Limited is a malt whisky distiller, based in Airdrie, Scotland. The company is a subsidiary of ThaiBev, one of the largest alcoholic-beverage companies in Southeast Asia. Inver House Distillers owns and operates five dist ...
and Coldstream Gin.


Former notable employers

*
Teleperformance Teleperformance SE (TP) is an omnichannel company headquartered in France. The company provides customer acquisition management, customer care, technical support, debt collection, social media services, and other services. It operates in 88 ...
, a telesales and
technical support Technical support (abbreviated as tech support) is a call centre type customer service provided by companies to advise and assist registered users with issues concerning their technical products. Traditionally done on the phone, technical suppor ...
company. Ceased operation December 2021. There are two trading estates in the town, Brownsburn Industrial Estate and Osprey Trade Park.


Demography

Historical records of Airdrie's population are available from the 18th, the early decades of the 19th century, and into the early 20th century. According to the 2001 Census, Airdrie's population of 36,326 was: *47.31 male, 52.69% female. *20.7% were under 16, 16.67% were pensioners. *46.61% were married (first marriage), 29.81% were single. *95.74% were born in Scotland or described their nationality as Scottish. *0.42% spoke
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...
.


Religion

Christian
Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...
– Airdrie's Church of Scotland churches are part of the Presbytery of Hamilton. *Cairnlea Church - formed by the amalgamation of Broomknoll Church and Flowerhill Church in 2016 and housed in the former Flowerhill building (1875) *Clarkston Church (1837) *High Church *Jackson Church *New Monkland Parish Church (bef. 1698) – In nearby
Glenmavis Glenmavis is a village in the North Lanarkshire area of Scotland. It is about northwest of Airdrie on the B802 road. It has a population of around () Etymology The etymology of the name is ‘glen of the song-thrush’. History Strictly s ...
. *New Wellwynd (1834) *St Columba's Church
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
– Airdrie's Roman Catholic churches are immediately governed by the
Diocese of Motherwell The Roman Catholic Diocese of Motherwell ( la, Dioecesis Matrisfontis, links=no) is an ecclesiastical diocese of the Catholic Church in Scotland. The diocese, which was erected on 25 May 1947 by Pope Pius XII from the Archdiocese of Glasgow, a ...
, currently led by
Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...
Joseph Toal Joseph Anthony Toal (born 13 October 1956) is a Scottish Roman Catholic bishop. On 29 April 2014 he was named by Pope Francis as the fifth Bishop of Motherwell, having served as Bishop of Argyll and the Isles since 2008. Biography Born in Ro ...
. The
Bishops' Conference of Scotland The Bishops' Conference of Scotland (BCOS), under the trust of the Catholic National Endowment Trust, and based in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, is an episcopal conference for archbishops and bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. The ...
(effectively the Church's headquarters in Scotland) is situated in Airdrie. *St Andrew's Church (Whinhall) *St Edward's Church (Gartlea) *St Margaret's Church (Airdrie centre) *St Serf's Church (Rawyards)
Congregational Church Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...
– Airdrie's Congregational churches are associated with the
Congregational Federation The Congregational Federation is a small Christian denomination in Great Britain comprising 235 congregations, down from 294 in April 2014. The Federation brings together Congregational churches, and provides support and guidance to member church ...
. *Coatdyke Church *Ebenezer Church (Broomknoll Street) (1882) *Pilgrim Church Other *Airdrie Baptist Church (1843) – part of the
Baptist Union of Scotland The Baptist Union of Scotland is a Baptist Christian denomination in Scotland. It is affiliated with the Baptist World Alliance. The headquarters is in Glasgow. History From the 1650s to 1869 Baptists first arrived in Scotland with the armies of ...
. *Airdrie Islamic Centre (mosque) – part of the UK Islamic Mission. *Airdrie Park – part of the
United Reformed Church The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Protestant Christian church in the United Kingdom. As of 2022 it has approximately 40,000 members in 1,284 congregations with 334 stipendiary ministers. Origins and history The United Reformed Church resulte ...
. *Airdrie Reformed Presbyterian Church – part of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland, which is largely headquartered in Airdrie. *The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints Chapel *Ebenezer Church (Aitchison Street) –
Evangelical Church Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "born again", in which an individual experi ...
– Airdrie's Evangelical churches are Brethren and associated with the
Evangelical Alliance The Evangelical Alliance (EA) is a national evangelical alliance, member of the World Evangelical Alliance. Founded in 1846, the activities of the Evangelical Alliance aim to promote evangelical Christian beliefs in government, media and socie ...
. *Jehovah's Witnesses' Kingdom Hall *
The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...
, Airdrie Corps *St Andrew's Hospice – operated by the
Sisters of Charity Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity in their name. Some ''Sisters of Charity'' communities refer to the Vincentian tradition, or in America to the tradition of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, but others are unrelated. The ...
. *St Paul & St John the Baptist – part of the
Scottish Episcopal Church The Scottish Episcopal Church ( gd, Eaglais Easbaigeach na h-Alba; sco, Scots Episcopal(ian) Kirk) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion in Scotland. A continuation of the Church of Scotland as intended by King James VI, and ...
, governed by the
Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway The Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway is one of the seven dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church. It covers Dumfries and Galloway, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire (including Glasgow), Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and west Stirlingshire (south of the Ri ...
.


Transport

Airdrie railway station , symbol_location = gb , symbol = rail , image = Airdrie station - looking west.JPG , caption = Airdrie railway station, looking west , borough = Airdrie, North Lanarkshire , country ...
is on the electrified
North Clyde Line The North Clyde Line (defined by Network Rail as the ''Glasgow North Electric Suburban'' line) is a suburban railway in West Central Scotland. The route is operated by ScotRail Trains. As a result of the incorporation of the Airdrie–Bathga ...
. This railway provides a frequent train service to
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
via and . In 2010, the Airdrie–Bathgate rail link re-opened providing Airdrie with a direct commuter train service to , and . Drumgelloch railway station serves the eastern end of the town. Including the satellite village of Caldercruix, Airdrie is served by four stations; , , , and , on the border of Airdrie and Coatbridge. Airdrie has road links to
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
,
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
,
Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American customs ...
,
Motherwell Motherwell ( sco, Mitherwall, gd, Tobar na Màthar) is a town and former burgh in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, south east of Glasgow. It has a population of around 32,120. Historically in the parish of Dalziel and part of Lana ...
, and
Cumbernauld Cumbernauld (; gd, Comar nan Allt, meeting of the streams) is a large town in the historic county of Dunbartonshire and council area of North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is the tenth most-populous locality in Scotland and the most populated t ...
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 and McGills. McGill's took over most of the local companies in 2016 to form its ‘Monklands’ network in Go Zone 8. The services link all the local neighbourhoods with longer distance services e.g. the 212 from Coatbridge - Caldercruix via Airdrie and Plains, or the 247 from Monklands Hospital - Kirkintilloch via Airdrie, Glenmavis, Cumbernauld and Blackwood. Airdrie is connected to the UK
National Cycle Network The National Cycle Network (NCN) is the national cycling route network of the United Kingdom, which was established to encourage cycling and walking throughout Britain, as well as for the purposes of bicycle touring. It was created by the cha ...
by
National Cycle Route 75 National Cycle Route 75 runs from Edinburgh to Gourock via Glasgow. It is often known as the ''Clyde to Forth cycle route''. It then extends via the ferry from Gourock to Dunoon onto the Cowal peninsula to Portavadie from where another ferry co ...
. This route provides a path between Glasgow and Edinburgh. According to the Sustrans website: "there is currently a gap in the National Cycle Network route at Devol Glen,
Port Glasgow Port Glasgow ( gd, Port Ghlaschu, ) is the second-largest town in the Inverclyde council area of Scotland. The population according to the 1991 census for Port Glasgow was 19,426 persons and in the 2001 census was 16,617 persons. The most rece ...
." Other than the Sustrans path, there are no cycle lanes in Airdrie. Historical transport links include:- * Monkland Canal, 1794, commenced by
James Watt James Watt (; 30 January 1736 (19 January 1736 OS) – 25 August 1819) was a Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer, and chemist who improved on Thomas Newcomen's 1712 Newcomen steam engine with his Watt steam engine in 1776, which was ...
*
Airdrie and Coatbridge Tramways Airdrie and Coatbridge Tramways operated a tramway service in Airdrie and Coatbridge between 1904 and 1922 when it was taken over by Glasgow Corporation Tramways. History British Electric Traction established the Airdrie and Coatbridge Tramwa ...
*
Ballochney Railway The Ballochney Railway was an early railway built near Airdrie, Lanarkshire, now in Monklands, Scotland. It was intended primarily to carry minerals from coal and ironstone pits, and stone quarries, in the area immediately north and east of Aird ...
, 1828 * Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway, 1826 *
Slamannan Railway The Slamannan Railway was an early mineral railway between the north-eastern margin of Airdrie and Causewayend on the Union Canal, near Linlithgow, Scotland. The Slamannan Railway was built to give access for minerals from pits in the Slaman ...
*
Monkland Railways The Monkland Railways was a railway company formed in 1848 by the merger of three "coal railways" that had been built to serve coal and iron pits around Airdrie in Central Scotland, and connect them to canals for onward transport of the minerals ...
, formed in 1848 by the merger of the aforesaid local "coal railways". * Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway *
North British Railway The North British Railway was a British railway company, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1844, with the intention of linking with English railways at Berwick. The line opened in 1846, and from the outset the company followe ...
*
Caledonian Railway The Caledonian Railway (CR) was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century with the objective of forming a link between English railways and Glasgow. It progressively extended its network and reached Edinburgh an ...
*
London and North Eastern Railway The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) was the second largest (after LMS) of the " Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain. It operated from 1 January 1923 until nationalisation on 1 January 1948. At th ...
(LNER) *
London, Midland and Scottish Railway The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with LNER, GWR and SR. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway's corporate image used LMS, and this is what is generally ...
*British Railways/
British Rail British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four (British ra ...
-
Scottish Region of British Railways The Scottish Region (ScR) was one of the six regions created on British Railways (BR) and consisted of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) and ex-London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) lines in Scotland. It existed from the creation o ...


Healthcare

Airdrie is home to Monklands District General Hospital with a 24-hour
Accident & Emergency An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the acute care of pat ...
department. Adjacent to Monklands Hospital is Maggie's Lanarkshire, part of the
Maggie's Centres Maggie's centres are a network of drop-in centres across the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, which aim to help anyone who has been affected by cancer. They are not intended as a replacement for conventional cancer therapy, but as a caring enviro ...
cancer support charity.


Education

The following are the
secondary schools A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
, all of which are run by North Lanarkshire Council: * Airdrie Academy
Non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...
,
co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
,
comprehensive school A comprehensive school typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is re ...
*Caldervale High –
Non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...
,
co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
,
comprehensive school A comprehensive school typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is re ...
*St Margaret's High –
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
,
co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...
,
comprehensive school A comprehensive school typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is re ...


International relations


Twin towns - sister cities

*
Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both ban ...
,
Gelderland Gelderland (), also known as Guelders () in English, is a province of the Netherlands, occupying the centre-east of the country. With a total area of of which is water, it is the largest province of the Netherlands by land area, and second by ...
,
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
*
Füssen Füssen is a town in Bavaria, Germany, in the district of Ostallgäu, situated one kilometre from the Austrian border. The town is known for violin manufacturing and as the closest transportation hub for the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau ca ...
,
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...


Notable people

* Anton Danyluk - ''
Love Island Love Island may refer to: Film * ''Love Island'' (1952 film), an American film directed by Adam Lloyd starring Todd Wathen and Eva Gabor * ''Love Island'' (2014 film), directed by Jasmila Žbanić Music * ''Love Island'' (album), a 1978 album ...
'' 2019 participant * Ian Aitken - political journalist * Bill Adam – racing driver *
Joe Allen Joseph Michael Allen (born 14 March 1990) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL Championship club Swansea City. Allen began his career at Swansea City, making his first-team debut in January 2007 at age 16. H ...
- painter *
Ian Bannen Ian Edmund Bannen (29 June 1928 – 3 November 1999) was a Scottish actor with a long career in film, on stage, and on television. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in '' The Flight of the Phoenix'' (1965), the first ...
– actor * John Carmichael – soldier and recipient of the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...
*
Reece Clarke Reece Clarke (born 27 March 1995) is a Scottish ballet dancer. He joined the Royal Ballet in 2013, and was promoted to principal dancer in 2022. Early life and training Clarke is from Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. His father was a steelworker and ...
– ballet dancer * John Craig – geologist and lexicographer *
Paul Craig Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
- Mixed Martial Artist *
Leo Cushley Leo William Cushley (born 18 June 1961) is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh in Scotland. He previously served as head of the English language section of the Vatican Secretariat of State. Early life Leo Cushley was bo ...
– Roman Catholic archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh *
William Whigham Fletcher William Whigham Fletcher (11 August 1918 – 4 April 2001) was a Scottish biologist and academic author. He was Professor of Botany at Strathclyde University. He specialised in crop protection and was one of the first to study the environmental ...
- biologist *
Hugh de Largie Hugh de Largie (24 March 1859 – 9 May 1947) was an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Western Australia from 1901 to 1922. He was initially a member of the Labor Party, but after the 1916 party split joined the National La ...
– Australian politician * The Big Dish – pop/rock band *
Ryan Dalziel Ryan Dalziel ( ; born 12 April 1982), is a Scottish professional racing driver. Dalziel has seen the most success in his career in the United States, racing in the American Le Mans Series GT1 class and the Champ Car World Series, and winning t ...
– racing driver * Ross Davidson – actor * Nathan Evans - singer *
Emily Gerard (Jane) Emily Gerard (7 May 1849 – 11 January 1905) was a Scottish 19th-century author best known for the influence her collections of Transylvanian folklore had on Bram Stoker's 1897 novel '' Dracula''. Life Early life Emily Gerard was ...
– writer, whose works inspired Bram Stoker's
Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taki ...
and coined the term
Nosferatu ''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' (German: ''Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens'') is a 1922 silent German Expressionist horror film directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife ...
*
John Graham, 1st Viscount of Dundee John Graham, 7th of Claverhouse, 1st Viscount Dundee (21 July 1648 – 27 July 1689) was a Scottish soldier and nobleman, a Tory and an Episcopalian. He was responsible for policing southwest Scotland during and after the religious unrest and r ...
– also known as 'Bluidy Clavers' and 'Bonnie Dundee'. Royalist and Jacobite soldier *
Walker Hamilton Walker Hamilton (born 1934 in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire; died February 1969) was a Scottish writer known for the 1968 novella ''All the Little Animals''. He was the son of a coal-miner who left school at fifteen to do National Service, which did ...
– writer * Dee Hepburn – actress, best known for her role in
Gregory's Girl ''Gregory's Girl'' is a 1980 Scottish coming-of-age romantic comedy film written and directed by Bill Forsyth and starring John Gordon Sinclair, Dee Hepburn and Clare Grogan. The film is set in and around a state secondary school in the Abronhil ...
*David Keenan – writer, musician *Jim Lambie – Turner Prize nominated artist. *David Ross Lauder – soldier and recipient of the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...
*Jason Leitch - National Clinical Director for Scotland. Dux of Airdrie Academy *George G. Macfarlane, Sir George G. Macfarlane, engineer, scientific administrator and public servant. *Alesha MacPhail, murder victim *John O'Neill (VC), John O'Neill – soldier and recipient of the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previousl ...
. *James Bell Pettigrew *William Robinson (swimmer), William Robinson – swimmer, won silver in the Men's 200 metre Breaststroke at the 1908 Summer Olympics, 1908 Olympics in London. *Jim Traynor – sports broadcaster and journalist. *Wilson baronets, Sir John Wilson – Baronet (Wilson Baronetcy of Airdrie, which continues today with the 5th Baronet). *Amanda Hendrick – high-fashion model *Grant Harrold – broadcaster, and former Royal butler to HRH Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall *Kenny Williams (wrestler), Kenny Williams – Scottish professional wrestler with Insane Championship Wrestling


Footballers

*John Armstrong (footballer born 1936), John Armstrong *Barry Bannan *Dick Black (footballer), Dick Black *George Brown (footballer born 1928), George Brown *Jackie Campbell *Sandy Clark *Bobby Cumming *Torrance Gillick *Dick Hendrie *Drew Jarvie *Alan Lawrence – Nicknamed 'Nipper'. *Brian McClair *Bob McFarlane (footballer, died 1898), Bob McFarlane *John McGregor (footballer born 1963), John McGregor *Ian McMillan (footballer), Ian McMillan *Robert Main (footballer), Robert Main *Alan Morton – Nicknamed 'The Wee Blue Devil'. *Billy Neil (footballer, born 1939), Billy Neil - Olympian *Ally Roy *Matthew Scott (footballer, born 1872), Matthew Scott *Gardner Speirs *James White (Scottish footballer), James White *Martin Woods


Climate


See also

*List of places in North Lanarkshire


Sources

*Begg, E. and Rich, D. (1991) ''On the Trail of Merlin''. *Geddes, C.M. (1995) ''Airdrie 300:A Souvenir Brochure''. Motherwell: Monklands Library Services. *Hutton, G. (1997) ''Lanarkshire's Mining Legacy''. Catrine: Stenlake Publishing. *McCutcheon, C. (1994) ''Old Airdrie''. Catrine: Stenlake Publishing. *Moir, H. (2001) ''Airdrie''. Stroud: Tempus Publishing Ltd. *Scobbie, J.K. (1985) ''Book of Airdrie. Motherwell: Monklands Library Services. *Wilson, R. (1997) ''Old Airdrie Villages''. Catrine: Stenlake Publishing.


References


External links


Airdrie web page
The Airdrie page (no longer maintained) * A collection o

from the 1830s onward at National Library of Scotland {{authority control Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Towns in North Lanarkshire Burghs