Home Report Shotts

Shotts, North Lanarkshire, is a former industrial town of roughly 9000 people about 17 miles to the east of Glasgow, and about 26 miles to the west of Edinburgh. Shotts is ideally situated between Glasgow and Edinburgh, often thought of as a halfway point, though it is closer to Glasgow. The town was supposedly named after the legendary giant 15th-century highwayman “Bertram de Shotts” that roamed the village when the nearby road was an important route for merchants and tradesman transporting their goods around the country.

In more recent times, during the industrial revolution and into the 20th century Shotts was well-known for its mining and ironworks. Indeed, by the late 1800s, the ironworks in the area had grown to such an extent that the town slogan was “Shotts lights the world”, as gas lamp standards made here were exported throughout the world. Prior to World War II, there were 22 coal mines in the area. The last of these closed in the 1960s.

Fast forward to today, Shotts is primarily a commuter town for residents working in nearby towns in North and South Lanarkshire areas, as well as West Lothian. Though, Shotts Prison is a large employer in the area. Transport links to the town are well-developed for commuters. Shotts train station allows for direct travel to Glasgow Central Station and Edinburgh Waverly, with other stations on the line nearby acting as connecting stations for other lines, such as Motherwell, allowing for travel to England. Bus routes are regular with routes to the nearby area and further afield. The A71 road is nearby to the south which connects to the A72 and A73 roads, and collectively these allow for easy travel to most of the nearby towns. The A71 eventually connects to the M74 too, and the M8 motorway is a short drive to the north of the town for travel to Glasgow and Edinburgh.

In terms of things to do, Shotts has a few things to speak of. The present-day town is arguably most well-known for the annual and popular Shotts Highland Games, which are always held on the first Saturday of June. Shotts has a number of local independent shops, restaurants, takeaways and pubs, as well as the typical chains. Nearby leisure facilities include Shotts Golf Course and angling is available in Forrestburn Reservoir. Shotts is a particularly popular stop-off point for cyclists doing routes from Glasgow to Edinburgh/Edinburgh to Glasgow and many others.

In terms of local schooling, the local Catholic primary school is St. Patrick’s Primary, and non-denominational primary schools are Stane Primary and Dykehead Primary. Calderhead High School is the local high school.