Kilsyth
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 The bandstand in Burngreen, Kilsyth | |
  Kilsyth Location withinNorth Lanarkshire | |
| Population | 10,380 (2020)[1] |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | GLASGOW |
| Postcode district | G65 |
| Dialling code | 01236 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
| 55°59′N4°04′W / 55.98°N 4.06°W /55.98; -4.06 | |
Kilsyth (/kɪlˈsaɪθ/;Scottish Gaelic:Cill Saidhe) is a town andcivil parish inNorth Lanarkshire, roughly halfway betweenGlasgow andStirling inScotland. The estimated population is 10,380.[2][3] The town is famous for theBattle of Kilsyth and the religious revivals of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. The town now has links withCumbernauld at one time being part ofCumbernauld and Kilsyth District Council. The towns also have the same members of parliament at Holyrood and Westminster.
Historically part ofStirlingshire, Kilsyth is at an elevation of 200 feet (60 metres) above sea level and occupies a narrow strip of land between theKilsyth Hills to the north and theRiver Kelvin to the south.[4] To the east and west it is bordered bymarshland andbogs. The centre of the town is close to the confluence of the Garrell and Ebrochburns.
From earliest recorded times Kilsyth was one of the main routes betweenGlasgow,Falkirk andEdinburgh, and is very close to the RomanAntonine Wall, theForth and Clyde Canal and the main Glasgow toEdinburgh railway line, with the nearest railway station atCroy. Formerly two separate stations existed in the town on separate, although linked, railway lines. One, theKelvin Valley Railway went to Glasgow-Maryhill while the other, theKilsyth and Bonnybridge railway, went viaBanknock to Falkirk.[5] The town occupies a sheltered position in theKelvin Valley, and is bisected by the A803 betweenKirkintilloch andFalkirk. The olddrovers' road fromStirling, (the Tak Ma Doon Road), and the route south toCumbernauld viaAuchinstarry Bridge, intersect theA803 at Kilsyth.
There is archaeological evidence[6] of settlement sinceNeolithic times[7] TheRomans recognised the strategic significance of Kilsyth; theAntonine Wall forts ofBar Hill andCroy Hill are clearly visible from the present-day town. In theMiddle Ages, Kilsyth held a key strategic position on one of the main routes across the narrowest part of Scotland. It was the site of two, now ruined, castles at Balcastle andColzium. These were shown inTimothy Pont's map of 1580[8] and can also been seen onBlaeu's map which was derived from it.[9] The town officially came into being in 1620 although a barony of Kilsyth preceded this. Regarding the name of the town, modern research into Kilsyth's toponymy[10] leads to different findings than earlier analysis.[11]
Thecivil warBattle of Kilsyth took place on hillsides between Kilsyth andBanton in 1645.[12] Kilsyth was later closely associated with the various attempts by theJacobites to regain the crown. Bonnie Prince Charlie is reported to have spent the night in the town in January 1746.[13] The battlefield is now underBanton Loch which is a largely artificial body of water used to feed the Forth and Clyde Canal, close to its highest elevation.[14] The canal was cut through Dullatur Bog in 1769–1770 bringing economic benefit to Kilsyth. (It apparently disturbed many small toads which relocated by hopping northwards).[15]
The area was in the ownership of the Livingstone family at the time of the Battle of Kilsyth. As a reward for his support, Sir James Livingstone was madeViscount of Kilsyth byKing Charles II in 1661. By 1715, the Livingstones were supporting the Jacobite rebels, and had their estates confiscated.[16] Later landowners were theEdmonstone family, who built Colzium House in 1783 and rebuilt it in 1861. It is now a museum in a public park.[17]
In 1826, Kilsyth was givenburgh status, enabling it to haveburgesses and amarket.[16]
Historically the parish was known as Moniabrugh, or one of its variants, with its name changing sometime in the 18th century.[18] The town economy has shifted over the past three centuries fromdairy farming,[19]handloomweaving,[20]tambouring[21] andextractive industries to lightengineering,transport andservice industries. Many of the townsfolk of working age nowcommute to work in larger towns orGlasgow.
Following its foundation as an early monastic settlement, the town has a long tradition of radicalprotestantism.John Livingstone described himself as being from Monyabrock, an old name for Kilsyth.[22] The town was the scene of major revivals for example under the leadership of James Robe in 1742.[23]William Hamilton Burns[24] a minister in Kilsyth, and his sonWilliam Chalmers Burns[25] a missionary to China also saw revival in 1839, part of theSecond Great Awakening.[26][27]William Irvine (evangelist and founder of theTwo by Twos andCooneyites sects) was born in Kilsyth in 1863.[28]
The Church of Scotland parish church was founded in 1768 and the present building was opened in 1893. Its first ministers were father and son, John Anderson (d.1862) and Robert Anderson (d.1907): in 1900, the church was named the Anderson church in their honour.[29]
The formation of the new Church of God, the first Pentecostal Church in Scotland[30] in 1902 led to further outbreaks of revival in 1908 and to Kilsyth becoming an early focus ofPentecostalism.[31]
Kilsyth was originally part of the deanery of Lennox.[32] The parish was called variously Monyabroch, Monaeburgh, or Moniabrocd, but part of the parish was called Kelvesyth by the beginnings of the 13th century.[33] 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 aBurgh of Barony in 1620. A Town Charter was granted in 1826, permitting the holders of plots to elect a Town Council.[34] It used to be part of Stirlingshire,[35] but is now within North Lanarkshire jurisdiction.
In 2012, the multi-member ward was represented by three elected councillors; Jean Jones (Labour), Heather McVey (Labour) and Alan Stevenson (SNP).Jamie Hepburn MSP was elected as Cumbernauld and Kilsyth (Scottish Parliament constituency) member of the Scottish Parliament on 5 May 2011 with a majority of 3459.[36] Since May 2015, Stuart MacDonald has been Westminster MP for the Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East (UK Parliament constituency). He is a member of theScottish National Party.[37] As he said in his maiden speech he has sometimes been mistaken for his namesake who is also an SNP MP.[38][39]
KilsythCommunity Council, as the locally elected representative body, is an active community group but enjoys very limited powers.
Since 1995 Kilsyth has been part ofNorth Lanarkshire. The arms ofCumbernauld and Kilsyth District Council featured an open Bible and the shuttle and miner's lamp.[40] These symbols were taken from the earlier arms of Kilsyth.[41] However the open Bible and the miner's lamp were the only symbols which were carried on to the North Lanarkshire coat of arms.[42]
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,[43] attractive parks and gardens at Burngreen and Colzium complete with bandstands, welcoming hostelries[44] such as the Coachman Hotel, the Boathouse and the Scarecrow pub, and a fair choice of local restaurants - European, Indian, Chinese, and fish & chips.[45] The nearby villages ofCroy,Banton,Queenzieburn, andTwechar are within easy walking distance from Kilsyth.
Townhead reservoir, known locally as Banton Loch, is the site of the Battle of Kilsyth and is the main reservoir for the Forth and Clyde Canal. A thriving marina has been developed at Auchinstarry close to the climbing wall and lakes at the old quarry.
Kilsyth Lennox Golf Club was founded in 1899. The original nine-hole course was the Balmalloch area of the town, but moved in 1905 to the present position North East of the town. Between 1997 and 2002, the majority of the greens and tees were redesigned byRocky Roquemore, the American Golf Course architect. The club hosts a Festival of Golf in the first week in July.
Kilsyth has a public swimming pool, open seven days a week, a public library, a smallcottage hospital and health centre, and a range of recreational facilities such as tennis courts and bowling clubs. A feature of Burngreen Park is a children's road safety attraction with a model road layout and bikes, etc. for hire. It is also an accreditedWalkers are Welcome town.
Nearby attractions include theFalkirk Wheel, a huge boat lift that connects theUnion andForth & Clyde Canal networks, and theAntonine Wall – marking the northern edge of theRoman Empire. Kilsyth is about 30 minutes fromGlasgow, 15 minutes fromFalkirk, 30 minutes fromStirling and 45 minutes fromEdinburgh by car, bus (new express link in 2011) or train from nearbyCroy station.
Kilsyth held an international carnival in mid-August[46] – in 2007 this was held on Sunday August 12 and headlined thePeatbog Faeries andDavid Sneddon. It is held in the grounds of the wooded Colzium estate nearby. Following a two-year break, the carnival was relaunched in mid-August 2010 as a multi-day music, comedy and dance festival under the banner of the BIG KIC headliningSalsa Celtica,Dougie MacLean andFred MacAulay. However this event is no longer held
Civic Week festivities are held in June each year, with the traditional crowning of the Civic Queen. The festival features a variety of cultural and sports activities usually featuring members of clubs/groups from the town. A Christmas Festival is held annually, supported by the Rotary Club of Kilsyth.
The town is well represented on the football front, being the home ofKilsyth Rangers F.C. who are the local junior team, and there are two amateur teams - Kilsyth United AFC & Kilsyth Amateurs. There is also the Golden Gloves Boxing Club and many other groups and organisations. Kilsyth has three primary schools: Kilsyth Primary and Balmalloch Primary, and St Patrick's Primary School (Roman Catholic). Children from each school can progress to Kilsyth Academy while children from St Patrick's Primary generally advance to St. Maurice's High School located in nearbyCumbernauld. Kilsyth Academy is situated on Corrie Road and hosts a range of functions throughout the year.
Kilsyth istwinned withMeulan in France.Kilsyth artworks include several pieces by William Piper, including one about Kilsyth and Meulan.[50]
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