Airdrie

People have lived in the area of Airdrie for thousands of years and there is evidence of Roman occupation. The town grew rapidly when the Glasgow-Edinburgh turnpike road was routed through the small hamlet. Early industries included weaving which was very important during the Napoleonic Wars. In the nineteenth century mining came to prominence and the collieries of Airdrie satisfied much of the needs of its near neighbour, Coatbridge, the Iron Burgh. Both coal and ironstone were mined and transported to the ironworks by the Monkland Canal or the new-fangled railway. Over the past hundred years that industrial growth stopped and the town and its industries went into decline. The coal and ironstone mines were worked out, the canal closed and was filled in and the railways were shut as they were uneconomic. Inside the pages of Airdrie are over 200 images of the town as it once was. There are pictures of the industry, people, trams, shops and many other things that have now gone. For those old enough to remember the things that made Airdrie great, this book will bring back memories of the town as it once was and for those too young to remember the trams, horses and carts and streets with no traffic, the book will help show just how Airdrie has become the town it is today.