Shotts

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Shotts
Lanarkshire

Metalworker statue in the town centre
Location
Location: 55°49’21"N, 3°48’14"W
Data
Population: 8,235
Post town: Shotts
Postcode: ML7
Dialling code: 01501
Local Government
Council: North Lanarkshire

Shotts is a small rural town and parish in northern Lanarkshire located mid-way between Glasgow (21 miles) and Edinburgh (29 miles). At the 2001 census, the population was 8,235.[1] A local story has Shotts being named after the legendary giant Bertram de Shotts, though toponymists give the Anglo-Saxon derived 'sceots' (steep slopes) as the real source of the name.[2] Shotts is the home of the 2015 world champion pipe band, the House of Edgar Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band.[3]

History

Shotts was known for its mining and ironworks. In the years leading up to World War II there were 22 coal mines in the area, but the last of these (Northfield Colliery) closed in the 1960s.

Sport

Shotts has a number of sports facilitated in the local community. Shotts Golf Club, an 18-hole course founded in 1895, is to the north-east of the town.[4] Each year, Shotts hosts its own Highland Games, the next being on 6 June 2015 in Hannah Park. [5]

HMP Shotts

HMP Shotts, a high-security prison, is located between Shotts and Salsburgh.

Transport

The town is served by Shotts railway station, which is connected on the Shotts Line between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

References

Outside links

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