Once the beating heart of Scotland’s steel industry, Ravenscraig stands between Motherwell and Wishaw as one of the most significant industrial sites in the nation’s history. Though the furnaces are long gone, the story of the place—and the people who worked there—remains powerful and deeply rooted in the identity of Lanarkshire.
Today, Coatbridge lies just north of the M8 motorway in North Lanarkshire, blending almost seamlessly with its neighbour, Airdrie. Easily bypassed by main roads, its town centre can be overlooked, yet those who explore it find an attractive pedestrian precinct surrounded by characterful buildings. Beneath this calm appearance lies one of the most striking industrial histories in Scotland.
At the end of the 18th century, the area was sparsely populated and richly fertile. Contemporary accounts from 1799 describe woodland, orchards, productive farmland, and rivers full of fish. The landscape was so lush it was compared to an “immense garden.” This peaceful setting began to change with the construction of the Monklands Canal in 1788, which allowed coal to be transported efficiently to Glasgow.
The discovery of extensive ironstone deposits, combined with rapid technological advances, transformed Coatbridge into an industrial powerhouse. By the 1840s, blast furnaces dominated the skyline, operating day and night. Smoke, fire, and the constant noise of machinery reshaped both the landscape and daily life. Railways spread across the town, and industry replaced nature at an extraordinary pace.
Industrial production peaked in the mid-19th century with the Gartsherrie Ironworks, then the largest in Scotland. Thousands were employed, but resources became harder to source, and waste accumulated on a vast scale. As demand for steel declined in the 20th century, particularly after the downturn in Clyde shipbuilding, the industry faltered. The closure of the Gartsherrie Ironworks in 1967 marked the end of Coatbridge’s industrial era.
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