Torrance
| Torrance Gaelic: An Toran | |
| Stirlingshire | |
|---|---|
 Torrance Community Centre | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NS6192974147 |
| Location: | 55°56’26"N, 4°12’39"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 2,480 (2001) |
| Post town: | Glasgow |
| Postcode: | G64 |
| Dialling code: | 01360 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | East Dunbartonshire |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
East Dunbartonshire |
Torrance is a village in southern Stirlingshire, close to the border with Lanarkshire, some eight miles north of the Glasgow city centre. The name comes from the Gaelic An Toran meaning 'under the hills'. The main part of the village lies in the parish of Campsie, although it has expanded into neighbouring Baldernock to the west. The village was once famous as a resting place for workers on their way to the Campsie Fells, four miles to the north. The Forth and Clyde Canal has a wharf in the village, and the A807 road runs along its southern edge. The village has an active community charity whose aims are to improve the village facilities.
History
The village of Torrance is located in 'The Eleven Ploughs of Balgrochan'. The 'Eleven Ploughlands' are part of the estate of the Grahams of Mugdock, which had been feued in 1630 to local occupiers by the Marquess of Montrose. The feuars, originally holding their land unenclosed, each received an enclosed piece of land in 1735, as was common at the time. The village of Torrance developed some time later.[1]
Although weavers were among the earliest residents of the village, limestone, coal and ironstone extraction also began to emerge as a local industry.[1]
For several years, the canal wharf at Hungryside was Torrance's main connection with the outside world. However, this began to change in 1879 with the opening of a railway station by the Kelvin Valley Railway Company.
Community
Local amenities
Local amenities include a hairdressers, a beauty salon, tennis courts, health centre, mechanics, garden centre, bakery, a post office, chemist, Chinese takeaway and newsagents. The Torrance Church of Scotland is situated at the foot of School Road[2] and St Dominic's RC Church is at the top.
Torrance has three pubs; the Wheatsheaf Inn, the Torrance Inn and the Village Inn with another bar in the bowling club.
Notable residents
- Award-winning voice over artist and actor Lewis MacLeod.[3]
- George Pirie (artist)[4]
- Norman Pirie, biochemist[4]
- Sally Magnusson, broadcaster[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "History of Torrance". TorranceWeb. TorranceWeb. http://www.torranceweb.info/history.html. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- ↑ "Torrance Parish Church". Tpc.org.uk. http://www.tpc.org.uk/. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
- ↑ Bendoris, Matt. "They love me doing Macca". The Sun (London). http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/scotlandfeatures/3186027/Impressionist-Lewis-MacLeod-They-love-love-me-doing-Macca.html.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 W. S. Pierpoint (1997-04-22). "Obituary: Norman Pirie - People - News". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-norman-pirie-1268626.html. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
- ↑ "Sally Magnusson’s book in running for literary prize - Kirkintilloch Herald". M.kirkintilloch-herald.co.uk. 2014-10-19. http://m.kirkintilloch-herald.co.uk/news/local-headlines/sally-magnusson-s-book-in-running-for-literary-prize-1-3576145. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about East Dunbartonshire Torrance) |
- Torrance web
- Torrance Community Initiative
- First Glasgow Torrance Timetables -Timetable Information for Torrance to Glasgow services.