Population : 51,430 (2001 census)

Created in 1956, Cumbernauld is one of Scotland's new towns. Located beside the M80, it has excellent road links to Glasgow, Stirling and the North of Scotland. There are also regular train services to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

A Brief History of Cumbernauld

Cumbernauld is interpreted from the Gaelic "The meeting of the waters", a reference to the Luggie Water and the Red Burn which are close to the village. The original settlement is believed to have been started in Roman times under the shelter of the Antonine Wall.

Cumbernauld Village/Cumbernauld Estate has a pre-medieval history of which the Cumbernauld House was the base (prior to this, Cumbernauld Castle). The Estate comprised of a large natural forest in which King James IV hunted for deer and the "wild" white cattle, by invitation of its owners the Flemings, later given the hereditary title Earls of Wigtown.

By the early Middle Ages the settlement must have grown to a respectable size to warrant the Comyns placing their chapel here. With the Flemings' decision to build their castle, and make Cumbernauld their principal seat, the place would assume its present form, demonstrating the classical layout of a medieval Scottish town, with its principal street running from castle to church.

The town had two other distinct phases in its history. In the original 17th century village the main industry was handloom weaving, but with the onset of the industrial revolution, and due to its proximity to the Forth and Clyde canal, the local economy changed. By the 17th and 18th centuries, most of the Estate comprised tenanted farm holdings including Upper and Lower Abronhill, Carbrain, Kildrum, Hole, Tannoch, Seafar, Ravenswood, Eastfield, Palacerigg Greenfaulds, Forrest farms, Balloch and several more.

Mining and quarrying sprang up to take advantage of the rich minerals which were to be found in the area, coupled with cheap accessible transportation via the canal.

The origins of Cumbernauld New Town lie in the era of urban reconstruction which followed World War II. The 1946 Clyde Valley Regional Plan established a framework for the dispersal of population from the more crowded areas of Glasgow to new towns, and the comprehensive renewal of inner-urban areas. Cumbernauld's strategic location, and the area's limited amount of agricultural land, led to it being considered as an appropriate new town location.

When the mining industry in Scotland declined, Cumbernauld and the surrounding villages were given a boost with the creation of the New Town of Cumbernauld in 1956. High tech industries flocked to the area and it now enjoys one of the healthiest, local economies in Scotland.

Present

Key sectors within the town include engineering, manufacturing and distribution. Over the last few years a range of company expansions have been reported for Cumbernauld. Many of these have come from foreign direct investors who are planning to enhance their operational base in the town. The strategic location of the town is also an attraction for distribution companies.

Future Developments

Cumbernauld is still growing. New housing is being constructed to the north of the town and further business and industrial locations are being brought forward.

Cumbernauld boasts its own airport and is home to Clyde FC at the Broadwood Stadium and Cumbernauld Rugby FC.

Famous faces from Cumbernauld

Jon Fratelli (1979 -)

John Lawler, also known as Jon Fratelli, is the front man, lead vocals and guitarist of the Glasgwegain band The Fratellis. John was born in Cumbernauld in 1979 and still resides there with his wife and his son who is nine years old, when he is not touring with the band. When John was thirteen he decided he wanted to learn to play the guitar so he asked his parents to buy him an instrument. They refused him, so the young John saved up and bought his first Fender Telecaster. Legend has it he sold most of the contents of his bedroom to pay for the guitar.

The band have released two albums to date, the immensely popular first album 'Costello Music', released in 2006 and their second album, 'Here We Stand', released in 2008.

The Dykeenies (2006 -)

The Dykeenies formed in Cumbernauld in 2005. The band is made up of three brothers Alan, Andrew and Brian Henderson as well as Steven Ramsay and John Kerr who are childhood friends of the brothers. The band released their first single, a double side, called "New Ideas"/"Will it Happen Tonight?"  in July 2006.

The band have played alongside bands such as The Fratellis, Maximo Park and The Horrors and take their name from characters in the 80's film Willow. Since forming, The Dykeenies have released one album called ‘Nothing Means Everything', and in 2006 released their first EP, 'Waiting for Go', through the Lavolta Records Label. They are currently working on their second album, after completing a worldwide music tour

Craig Ferguson (17th May 1962 -)

Craig Ferguson is a comedian, writer, actor and talk show host. Ferguson was born in Glasgow but grew up in the North Lanarkshire new town of Cumbernauld.

 

Before his current career on TV and on stage as a stand up Ferguson found his way into performance by playing in several bands as a drummer, firstly in a rock group known as Exposure followed by a punk band that eventually became known as Dreamboys who performed regularly in Glasgow, during the early 1980's.

 

Around this time Ferguson started to experiment with stand up comedy and toured as a support act to Harry Enfield during the late 80's. After presenting a series on Scottish Archaeology for Scottish Television, Ferguson went on to appear on Red Dwarf, his own programme, 2000 Not Out, as well as the One Foot in the Grave Christmas Special, 1993.

 

In 1994 Ferguson moved to Los Angeles and landed his first role on American TV in Maybe This Time on ABC but his real breakthrough came when he landed a role in The Drew Carey Show. During the 90's he wrote and starred in The Big Tease, Saving Grace and I'll Be There and has appeared in several films since then. However, is known primarily for his work with The Late, Late Show. In January 2005 he succeeded Craig Kilborn in presenting the CBS show. His popularity and performance as a host earned him and Emmy nomination in 2006. In this year Ferguson published his first novel 'Between the Bridge and the River' which he dedicated to his son.

 

In February 2008 Ferguson received his American Citizenship and aired the ceremony the following week on The Late, Late Show. In the Autumn of 2009 Ferguson will publish his memoirs after signing a book deal with Harper Collins. The book aims to discuss Ferguson's move from Scotland to America and, in particular, discuss his newly acquired American Citizenship.