Airdrie back in time: 12 old pictures of Airdrie showing off over 100 years of North Lanarkshire history

Old pictures of Airdrie show a time that's very different from our own!

Airdrie is a town with its own distinct culture, heritage, and people that differ greatly from Glasgow - and even the adjoining town of Coatbridge!

Like many satellite towns of Glasgow - its population expanded massively during the industrial revolution - not spurred on by high birth rates - but by the potato famine bringing the Irish to Scotland's West Coast in their hundreds of thousands, as well as the highland clearances forcing many Highlanders down from their crofts to urban life in the Clyde Valley. The massive influx of population was reflected in the introduction of heavy industry, which also saw old cottages replaced with tenement-style sandstone houses and larger civic administrative buildings.

Airdrie essentially grew over a generation from a small village which essentially comprised of one long street to a fully established town with industries in coal, iron, and cotton. Today we wanted to document the period that followed, how people settled into the town and made it their own over generations through community, industry, and a bit of hard work. All these images were supplied via CultureNL - to find more pictures and stories about your local history, heritage, and more, visit the CultureNL collections.

Take a look at these 12 pictures to see Coatbridge at its industrial peak.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.