Landscape Legacies of Coal

ACTIVELY CELEBRATE MINING HISTORY

Through a series of curated heritage walking routes, this app promotes active engagement with the often hidden, but valuable legacy of British coal mining (with a strong emphasis on central Scotland). It highlights the story of coal and the communities that depended on it through the physical remains of the industry.

It is not so long ago that coal had a place in everyday life. At its peak in the post war period, the industry employed around 1 million workers and met over 90% of the Nation’s demand for fuel. Colliery towns and villages were dominated by the waste tips, the headstock, the bath house, railway sidings as well as housing, clubs and bowling greens. The closures, demolition and subsequent repurposing and/or redevelopment of colliery sites from the 1960s erased much of the physical traces of one of Scotland’s foremost industries.

BECOME A LANDSCAPE DETECTIVE

Learn to identify the often hard to discern, visible traces of coal mining that remain in the landscape today. The sunken hollows, patches of colliery waste and piles of building rubble through to communication networks, remediated tips, colliery housing, clubs and repurposed buildings.

PLAN YOUR PERFECT WALK

The app features start points, parking, route distances and nature of the terrain and its suitability for families, buggies and wheelchairs. Also indicated are opportunities to extend or shorten the walks, mid route parking, public toilets and coffee and cake stops.

REAL TIME TRACKING

An easy to follow route with real time tracking together with simple directions will guide you round the landscapes and help you find the surviving features marked by the coal waggon icon. You can choose between map and satellite.

BRING HISTORY TO LIFE

Click on the coal waggon icons along the route for the history, historic maps, images and sound clips to experience the industry at a time when coal dominated everyday life.

TELL YOUR STORY

Take the opportunity to share your memories, post your images and suggest additional features or a new route to include.