Tracing its routes back to the 1130s, Coatbridge has a rich and vibrant history. Originally falling in
the Old Monkland area, an portion of land granted to Cistercian monks by King Malcolm IV,
Coatbridge was formed by the consolidation of several small hamlets in the early 18th century.

From her formation, the growth of Coatbridge has been uniquely tied to industry. With the building
of the Monkland Canal, for which the primary use was the transportation of cheap coal to Glasgow,
ambitious Industrialists saw an opportunity to use the canal to exploit Coatbridge\'s iron deposits.
With the mode of transport already arranged, the creation of the hot blast furnace in 1828 gave
business in Coatbridge a massive boost. Now iron could be created using far less fuel and yielding a
far greater profit.

Using the prosperity of the Iron industry, the growth of the population of the town reached 600% in
the forty years following these innovations. Because of the massive influx of Irish immigrants, who
were required to work in the iron mills, a large proportion of the modern inhabitants of Coatbridge
have an Irish background. The Irish cultural link is so strong, that it is embedded Coatbridge history
and even in the residents language.

However, when the success and prosperity of a town is reliant on industry, as with so many other
towns in Scotland and England, Coatbridge suffered massive economic losses in the early-to-mid
20th century. With the lack of demand for iron, with growth of the steel industry in nearby
Motherwell and with constantly diminishing resources, the burgh succumbed to economic collapse.

With the clearing of substandard housing in the 1980s and massive grants from the European
Parliament and other non-governmental organisations, Coatbridge is rising from the ashes of
industry. With an emphasis on long term investment, standards of education, business opportunities
and house prices are increasing. Additionally, with more money proposed to redevelop the centre of
the town, Coatbridge is aiming to reinvent itself.

© Ciaran Mackie 2009