Population : 10,090 (2001 census)

Kilsyth, on the east end of Campsie Fells, is the most northern town in Lanarkshire.

A Brief History of Kilsyth

 

Kilsyth itself developed in the middle ages. One of the earliest maps is dated around 1590, by Timothy Pont and is published in Blaeu's Atlas 1654.

 

By the beginning of the 17^th century the hamlet of Burnside, had grown along the banks of the Garrell Burn at its confluence with the Ebroch Burn. At the same time Monyabroch, (or Monieburgh) meaning moor or moss of the Ebroch, had developed along the Ebroch Burn.

 

By the middle of the 17^th century, Kilysth had expanded to incorporate the hamlets of Burnside and Monyabroch and fully establish the town. Within a few years a new town was forming on the higher ground to the south of the burns which eventually developed into the present day Main Street and that part of the town which is now in the conservation area.

 

1645 saw the great civil war, the Battle of Kilsyth where Covenanters, under General Baillie, were defeated with dreadful slaughter by Royalists under James Graham, Marquis of Montrose. In 1650 Cromwell blew up the castle at Allanfauld.

 

In 1680 Lord Kilsyth made over the Kilsyth estate to his younger brother William who was responsible for building the ice-house. It is situated in the glen of the Colzium Burn, about 30 metres from the main house. There is a rectangular vaulted chamber with an entry door and passage on its north flank and a trap in the centre of the vault. The floor is stone paved and is drained into the glen. Alongside is a small game-pit for storing game until fit for consumption. The ice-house was excavated and repaired in 1977.

 

In 1716 the world's oldest known Curling club was established in Kilsyth, and is still going strong today. 

 

During the 18th Century the production of linen, and, after 1776, cotton weaving, were the principal industries. Trade was also assisted by the arrival in 1758 of the Edinburgh to Glasgow turnpike, later helped by the opening of the new Forth and Clyde Canal, and easy access to both West and East Coasts.

 

1789 saw Robert Graham plant half an acre of ground with potatoes on the croft of Neilstone, to the north of the town of Kilsyth, where he at that time resided as factor on the estate of Kilsyth. This is the first account of the commercial cultivation of potatoes in Scotland, and excited considerable interest.

 

In 1795 Embalmed bodies of Lady Kilsyth and her son found in the Livingstone family vaults.

 

There were serious disturbances in Kilsyth in 1797, when opposition to compulsory military service led to threats against the schoolmaster (who was ordered to prepare lists of men for service) and large numbers of weavers mobbed a district meeting.  

 

Many of these disturbances were organised by early forms of Trades Unions and workers democratic societies. The military were called in, and order was restored through force.In 1820, serious disturbances erupted again, with the "Battle of Bonnymuir" (really a skirmish) near Kilsyth which ended as quickly as it begun, with disastrous consequences for many of those involved in the new movement for popular democracy and workers rights.

 

1849 - Cholera outbreak - 35 residents died. Towards the end of the 18th century the local hand loom industries were complemented by the expansion of quarrying for building stone for the growing cities such as Glasgow. In the early 19th century Sir Archibald Edmonstone extended and improved the lime-workings, worth £2000 yearly to the local economy.

 

Most of the grey-buff and red sandstone town centre that can be seen today was built in the latter half of the 19th century. Elegant shop fronts survive at 40-42 and 55-63 Main Street. Many of the doors and windows are original. The Market Square originally served as the focal point of the town. The Barony Court House was demolished in 1860 to make way for the present Market Chambers. The square retains an ornamental water pump dated 1869. The old part of the town reflects the medieval street pattern, with many narrow lanes and wynds.

 

The inauguration of Burngreen Park in 1910 with its formal planting, elegant ironwork railings and bridges, and ornamental bandstand marked a high point for Kilsyth. Around Burngreen the form and shape of the wide boulevards, formal gardens and elegant villas is in marked contrast to Main Street.

 

In 1920 the town of Kilsyth went "dry" as part of the prohibition era and stayed dry until 1967!

 

The 1940s until the 1960s saw gradual decline of the mining industry, as small local coal seams were abandoned as being uneconomic. Light engineering and a more diverse industrial base created new industries and opportunities for the town.

 

Each summer Kilsyth holds an international carnival in the grounds of the Colzium estate which has proved to be a popular attraction with tourists as well as the town's local community.