East Kilbride
Coordinates: 55°45′52″N 4°10′38″W / 55.764529°N 4.177115°W
| East Kilbride | |
| Scots Gaelic: Cille Bhrìghde an Ear | |
 East Kilbride parish kirk touer |
|
  East Kilbride
East Kilbride shown within the Unitit kinrick |
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| Population | 73,796 [1] (2001 census) est. 73,320[2] (2006) |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| Council area | Sooth Lanrikshire |
| Lieutenancy area | Lanrikshire |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | GLASGOW[3] |
| Postcode district | G74-75 |
| Dialling code | 01355 & 0141 |
| Police | |
| Fire | |
| Ambulance | |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow |
| Scottish Parliament | East Kilbride |
| List of places: UK • Scotland • | |
East Kilbride (Scots Gaelic: Cille Bhrìghde an Ear, meanin Sanct Bride's Kirk) is a lairge suburban toun in the Sooth Lanrikshire cooncil aurie, in the Wast Central Lawlands o Scotland. Designatit as Scotland's first new toun in 1947, it forms pairt o the Greater Glesga conurbation. The aurie lies on heich grund on the sooth side o the Cathkin Braes, aboot 8 miles (13 km) sootheast o Glesga ceety centre an close tae the bundary wi East Renfrewshire.
The toun is enclosed bi the White Cart River tae the wast an the Rotten Calder tae the east, the latter flowin northwards tae join the River Clyde near Cambuslang. This aurie wis previously the steid o the sma an historic veelage o East Kilbride, prior tae its post-war development. The modren settlement serves baith as a dormitory toun for the ceety o Glesga an maintains its awn commercial centre.
Table o contents |
History [edit]
The earliest evidence o habitation in the aurie dates back tae auncient graves foond near the Kype Water tae the sooth o the destrict. Roman coins an footwear hae an aa been foond in the aurie.
East Kilbride takes its name frae an Erse saint, St Brigit who foondit a monastery for nuns an monks in Kildare, Ireland in the 6t century. Erse monks introduced her order tae Scotland. Kil, frae the Gaelic cill, means kirk or burial place.
East Kilbride grew frae a sma veelage o aroond 900 inhabitants in 1930 tae become eventually a lairge burgh. Ahint this growth lay the rapid industrialisation o the nineteent century which left hintle o the wirkin population throughoot Scotland's central belt frae Glesga to Edinburgh livin in the hoosin stock built at the end o that century but accommodatin far mair fowk. Warld War I postponed ony better hoosin as did the Treaty o Versailles an the period o post war settlement it creatit. In turn this wis follaed bi the Great Depression. Efter Warld War II, Glesga, aaready sufferin frae chronic shortages o hoosin, haed tae deal wi bomb damage frae the war.
Frae this unlikely backdrop a new dawn emerged which wad bring East Kilbride tae its unlikely success. In 1946 the Greater Glesga Regional Plan allocatit steids whaur owerspill satellite "new touns" coud be constructit tae help alleviate the hoosin shortage.[4] Glesga wad an aa unnertake the development o its peripheral hoosin estates. East Kilbride wis the first o five new touns in Scotland tae be designatit, in 1947, follaed bi Glenrothes (1948), Cumbernauld (1956), Livingston (1962) an Irvine (1964).[5]
The toun haes been subdividit intae residential precincts, each wi its awn local shops, primary schuils an community facilities. The hoosin precincts surroond the shoppin centre, which is bund bi a ringroad. Industrial estates are concentratit at steids tae the north, wast an sooth, on the ootskirts o the toun.
Geography [edit]
The aurie o East Kilbride is hame tae a river valley which, apairt frae the Avon Gorge, is unique in the wey it wis formed. A river uisually starts aff narrae, fast-flowin, wi steep cliffs, an in the hills. This is the youth o the river. Later ance the river reaches flat land it begins tae widen an meander an flow slower. This is the river's middle age. Calderglen is interestin in that it flows fast, haes steep cliffs an is fairly narrae (youth stage) but an aa meanders. The Rotten Calder therefore haes its river youth efter its middle age, as the river source is on flatter land an is meanderin an slow flowin.
East Kilbride forms pairt o the Greater Glesga Conurbation.
Govrenance [edit]
| East Kilbride Destrict 1975-96 | |
 |
Frae 1975 East Kilbride lent its name tae a local govrenment destrict in the Strathclyde region. In 1996 admeenistrative functions wur taken ower bi the Sooth Lanrickshire unitary cooncil. (See: Subdiveesions o Scotland)
There is an East Kilbride constituency o the Scots Parliament. Frae the openin o the Scots Parliament, the constituency wis representit bi Andy Kerr MSP (Labour), till Mey 2011 when the seat wis wan bi Linda Fabiani MSP (Scottis Naitional Pairtie).
East Kilbride wis umwhile a constituency o the UK Parliament. In 2005 it wis replaced bi the constituency o East Kilbride, Strathaven an Lesmahagow. The seat wis held frae 1987 tae 2010 bi Adam Ingram. Syne the 2010 election the seat haes been held bi Michael McCann, previously a Sooth Lanrickshire Cooncillor.
Economy [edit]
The toun centre is occupee'd bi a lairge shoppin centre comprisin 6 linked maws, developed in phases. The maws are kent bi local residents as "The Centre".
The six maws are The Plaza (development stairtit in 1972), Princes Mall (1984), Olympia (1988), Southgate (1989), Princes Square (1997) an Centre West (2003). The shoppin centre haes come unner recent criticism for losin major retail chains in licht o risin rental prices. This coupled wi the Centre West expansion an decreasin shopper numbers haes alloued swathes o properties athin the centre tae remain closed for months at a time, notably on the first floor o Centre West an the Plaza.
A £400m redevelopment o East Kilbride toun centre haes been given the go-aheid bi Sooth Lanrickshire Cooncil. The plan wad demolish some existin biggins tae create a new civic centre, a state-o-the-airt health centre, a library an shoppin facilities.
It wad an aa see a "landmark" airts an cultur complex wi a 1,000-seat theatre, a 500-seat conference centre, a museum an a new toun square.
Parking spaces in the town centre would increase from 3,000 to 8,700 spaces. The first stage of the plan was due to start in 2006, with completion of the major elements in 2012/2013, but the project has been indefinitely delayed. It is hoped the project, the various phases of which will require full planning permission, will create up to 3,000 temporary jobs over the 10-year construction programme and 2,000 permanent jobs.
The new civic an health facilities wad be creatit at the steid currently occupee'd bi Plaza Touer, which wad be demolished, wi the theatre an airts facilities being creatit at the adjoinin Olympia Centre.
The current civic centre an the adjoinin Hunter Health Centre wad be demolished tae mak wey for the first phase o development, which wad include a major fuid retail store.
There is tae be a relocation o the Hunter Health Center tae a mair central aurie whaur consumers can access it.
A branch o the govrenment's Depairtment for Internaitional Development is locatit on the wastren edge o East Kilbride at Hairmyres.[6]
Local auries [edit]
East Kilbride is dividit intae a number o smawer auries bordered bi main through-roads. Pairt o the new toun design wis that each o these wad be a self-contained entity, wi local shops an primary schuils. This is true for the oreeginal auries o the toun but newer developments, such as Stewartfield dae no adhere tae this model.
Releegion [edit]
There are approximately 30 kirks in East Kilbride. This includes 9 Kirk o Scotland kirks, 3 Baptist Kirk an 4 Catholic Congregations. Johavah's Witnesses are hae a Kinrick Haw near the centre o the toun.
Westwoodhill Evangelical Kirk, is based on Westwoodhill in the Westwood.[7]
The Christadelphians meet in Calderwood Community Centre.[8]
Transport [edit]
East Kilbride is connectit tae Glesga ceety centre bi road an rail. Three main roads connect East Kilbride wi surroondin suburbs an the ceety, ane being the A727 (umwhile A726) leadin wast tae Busby an on tae Clarkston Toll. Anither route being the A749 which runs north intae Rutherglen. Recently, the addition o the Glesga Soothren Orbital road links the wast o the toun directly wi Newton Mearns an the M77. This road haes taken ower the designation A726. East Kilbride bus station, at the shoppin centre, wis recently rebuilt an provides modren facilities. East Kilbride railway station is situatit in the Veelage. Trains depairt tae Glasgow Central railway station ivery hauf oor, wi a journey time o 27 minutes. The toun is an aa served bi Hairmyres railway station in Hairmyres.
East Kilbride's primary bus operator is First Glasgow which provides regular services tae the ceety centre, Busby, Clarkston, Castlemilk, Rutherglen, Blantyre, Hamilton, Motherwell an tae mony ither destinations athort Greater Glesga. Stagecoach West Scotland provide a hauf-oorly tae oorly service tae Ayr, Arriva Scotland West ran a oorly 600 service tae the Airport via: Busby, Clarkston, Giffnock, Thornliebank, Silverburn Centre, Hurlet, an Paisley, but wis discontinued in late 2009.
Similar tae ither new touns, the road netwirk athin the aurie is populatit bi mony roondaboots; Glaswegians jokinly refer tae East Kilbride as "roondaboot ceety". The reference is in fact "Polo mint Ceety" efter the roond, mint sweet.[9]
Cyclin [edit]
East Kilbride is a guid place for cyclin wi mony o the busy roondaboots haein unnerpasses for pedestrians an cyclists. On 19 Juin 2009, Naitional Cyclin Route 756 wis opened an connects East Kilbride an Rutherglen wi the Glasgow City Boundary.
Landmarks [edit]
Dollan Aqua Centre [edit]
Ane o the maist significant biggins o an earlier phase o development wis Dollan Baths leisur complex (opened 1968) which haes category A leetit status. The Dollan Baths are the subject o a local urban meeth, which tauld that the puil wis built 5 cm short of Oleempic size. In actual fact, the puil wis built as 55 yards lang, but is anerlie sax lanes wide, rather than the Oleempic staundart o 50m an ten lanes wide. The Aqua Centre re-opened on Mey 28 2011 efter a major refurbishment costin £6.5 million. Facilities include swimmin puil wi muiveable floor, health suite an fitness gym. A famous glass waw allouin views frae the reception aurie intae the puil haes sadly gane.
Hunter Hoose Museum [edit]
- Main airticle: Hunter Hoose Museum
Contains exhibits relatin tae medical pioneers, William an John Hunter, who wur born in the aurie.
St. Brides's Kirk [edit]
Bi airchitects Gillespie, Kidd & Coia, 1957-1964.
Loupin On Stane [edit]
Ootside the Montgomery Arms in the veelage.
The White Man [edit]
Seatit statue o Sir Walter Scott, corner o Old Coach Rd an Markethill Rd.
National Museum of Rural Life [edit]
5 starn museum an wirkin ferm, featurin 1950s dairy ferm methods, run biNational Museums of Scotland at Kittochside.
James Hamilton Heritage Park [edit]
16 acre manmade lake wi watersports facilities and surrounding nature sanctuary. Owerleukit bi Mains Castle (private).
Langlands Moss [edit]
Scottish Natural Heritage natur reserve. A boardwalk allous visitors tae walk ower the moss safely.
Whitelees Windfarm [edit]
Europe's lairgest on shore windferm is locatit near Eaglesham. Visitors centre, walks.
Pairks an sports [edit]
East Kilbride Thistle is the toun's main fitbaa club. (It is the lairgest toun in Scotland athoot a senior fitbaa team, housomeivver a new club, East Kilbride haes been formed an coud be includit in the Scots Fitbaa League in roughly 5 years time.)
East Kilbride RFC, are based at Calderglen Country Park.
East Kilbride Lawn Tennis Club is ane o the auldest tennis club in Scotland.
East Kilbride Pirates play in the British American Football League.
EK82 Handbaw Club Foondit in 1972, they train at the John Wright Sports Centre an the Alistair McCoist Complex. They play in the Scots Naitional League.
Athletics in the toun is covered bi 3 athletics clubs. Whitemoss, East Kilbride an Calderglen. Baith Whitemoss an East Kilbride Athletic Club are based at the John Wright Sports centre.
Greenhills Dynamo is an amateur fitbaa side set up in 1998. Syne its formation, the team haes enjoyed relative success in the Strathclyde Saturday Morning League winnin 7 trophies in 13 years, mair notably the Premier Diveesion in Saison 2009/10 unner the Management o Tommy Livingston an his assistant Dougie Craggs. Club Secretary Gavin McCann regularly contributes tae The East Kilbride News an an' a' the East Kilbride Mail whaur readers can follae the team's fortunes.
Twin toun [edit]
References [edit]
- ↑ Comparative Population Profile: East Kilbride Locality. Scotland's Census Results Online (2001-04-29). Retrieved on 2 September 2008. .
- ↑ http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/publications-and-data
- ↑ List of UK post towns. Evox Facilities. Retrieved on 22 Februar 2012. .[deid airtin]
- ↑ http://www.theglasgowstory.com/story.php?id=TGSFG10
- ↑ Cowling, D. (1997). An Essay for Today: the Scottish New Towns 1947-1997. Edinburgh: Rutland Press.
- ↑ http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-DFID/Contact-us/How-to-find-Abercrombie-House/
- ↑ 'East Kilbride Evangelical Christians' on westwoodhillchurch.org.uk
- ↑ 'East Kilbride Christadelphian Ecclesia' on searchforhope.org
- ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7334457.stm BBC News (2008) Roundabouts in East Kilbride
Freemit airtins [edit]
- Interactive pictur guide o East Kilbride
- East Kilbride's Shoppin Centre
- Business an Community
- Community an Local Events
- East Kilbride Pirates American Fitbaw team
- Dynamica Drum Corps, East Kilbride
