Kilsyth
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| Kilsyth | |
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| Cill Saidhe (Gaelic) | |
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| OS grid reference: | {{{GridReference}}} |
| Population: | 9,816(2001 Census) |
| Council area: | North Lanarkshire |
| Constituent country: | Scotland |
| Sovereign state: | United Kingdom |
| Police force: | Strathclyde Police |
| Lieutenancy area: | Dunbartonshire |
| Former county: | Stirlingshire |
| Post town: | GLASGOW |
| Postal: | G65 |
| Telephone: | 01236 |
| Scottish Parliament: | {{{Holyrood}}} |
| UK Parliament: | Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East |
| European Parliament: | Scotland |
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For other places named Kilsyth, see Kilsyth (disambiguation)Kilsyth (Possible origin: Gaelic Cill Saidhe ) is a town of 9,816 (2001 Census) roughly halfway between Glasgow and Stirling in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.
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[edit] Location
Kilsyth is at 60M above sea level and occupies a narrow strip of land between the Kilsyth Hills to the north, and the River Kelvin to the south. To the east and west it is bordered by marshland and bogs. The centre of the town is close to the confluence of the Garrell and Ebroch burns.
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.
[edit] History and development
There is archeological evidence of settlement since Neolithic times [1]. 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.
Kilsyth was rich in 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, transportation and service industries. Many of the townsfolk of working age now commute to work in nearby Glasgow and other larger towns nearby.
[edit] Religion and revivals
Following its foundation as an early monastic settlement, the town has a long tradition of radical protestantism and was the scene of major revivals under the leadership of James Robe [1] in 1742 and William Chalmers Burns in 1839, part of the Second Great Awakening. The formation of the new Pentecostal Church of God [2] in 1902 led to further outbreaks of religious fervour in 1908. William Irvine (Scottish evangelist and founder of the Christian Conventions sect) was born in Kilsyth in 1863. The influx of Roman Catholic immigrant workers from Ireland led to outbreaks of sectarian violence at the Duntreath Arms Inn in 1905. 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 [3].
[edit] Administration
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. Kilsyth Community Council |]]
: [4], as the locally elected representative body, is an active and representative community group but enjoys very limited powers.
[edit] Attractions
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 [5], attractive parks and gardens at Burngreen and Colzium complete with bandstands, welcoming hostelries[6] such as the Curling Stone, Coachman Hotel and the Scarecrow pub, and a choice of local restaurants [7]. The nearby villages of Croy, 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.
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 less than an hour from Glasgow, Stirling and Edinburgh by car, bus or train from nearby Croy station.
Kilsyth holds an international carnival (popularly known as KIC) in mid-August - in 2007 this will be on Sunday August 12th. It is held in the grounds of the wooded Colzium estate nearby. Farmers' markets are held on the first Saturday of every month (January excepted). Civic Week festivities are held in June each year, with the traditional crowning of the Civic Queen.
The town is also the home of Kilsyth Rangers F.C.
Kilsyth has 3 primary schools: Kilsyth Primary and Balmalloch Primary (non-denominational), and St Patrick's Primary School (Roman Catholic). Children from both Kilsyth Primary and Balmalloch primary attend the non-denominational Kilsyth Academy while children from St Patrick's primary attend St.Maurice's High (located in nearby Cumbernauld).
[edit] Source
- Incorporates material from http://www.paperclip.org.uk/kilsyth.htm made available under the GFDL.
