History Of Airdrie

History Of Airdrie

Airdrie has an interesting history, playing a key part in local and national history due to its location between Edinburgh and Glasgow, making it a key part in connecting Scotland in the middle ages.

The History Of The Monklands The Monklands is the area surrounding Airdrie, and predates the town by hundreds of years, with the people of the region founding Airdrie.

The Battle of Arfderydd It is speculated that Airdrie is the location of the Battle of Arfderydd, one of the “Three futile Battles of the Island of Britain” in old Welsh legend. This story created the Arthurian character of Merlin from the description of King Gwenddoleu’s bard, Myrddin Wyllt.

The Creation Of The Monklands The Monklands were home to a famous Cistercian abbey, which was founded in 1136 under the patronage of King Malcolm IV of Scotland. The land would then be known as the ‘Munklands’ due to the monastic influence in the area. The monks would develop the land significantly, as they were known for farming and constructed the first road connecting Glasgow to Edinburgh.

This would allow a trade to flow through the area where Airdrie is located by selling the monk’s grain and therefore contributing to Airdrie’s eventual creation.

Airdrie Is Founded In 1503 Airdrie was first recorded as a tenantry, with houses being situated along the old monk’s road. However, the settlement was small and grew slowly, only having 500 residents in 1650.

Many Airdrieonians fought in the Battle of Bothwell Bridge during the 1679 Covenanter rebellion, greatly impacting Airdrie and stunting its growth.

In 1695 the Scottish Parliament allowed Airdrie to hold four fairs annually and a weekly market.

This helped Airdrie to move away from its agricultural dependency and move towards trading a vast array of products, helping it grow to new heights.

Airdrie became known through its weaving industry. Flax was being grown around the burgh.

The Airdrie Weaving society also founded in 1781

Airdrie In The Victorian Era Coal mining was practised in Airdrie in the 1890s, although the weaving industry still dominated the market. After the Napoleonic Wars, Airdrie became a major centre of support for the Radical War due to the high number of unemployed soldiers in the area. In 1821 Airdrie became an independent Burgh of Barony. In the 19th century, voting in Airdrie was available to anybody who paid 3 guineas. Due to this John Mackay, who was ten years old, managed to cast his vote.

Due to the Highland Potato Famine, Airdrie had a massive growth in population in the 1840s from Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland. Due to the increase of Irish immigrants who mainly worked in the mining industry, Airdrie shifted to an industrial economy, preparing itself for the future.

Airdrie In The 20th Century After the end of WW1, Airdrie’s unemployment skyrocketed to 30% due to casualties from the war and unemployed soldiers. However, the town improved after the Second World War due to companies like Boots opening locations in Airdrie and employing in the local area. In the present day, Airdrie has prospered as more companies opened locations in the town, allowing it to open more facilities for the public.