Scottish Collieries
Scottish Collieries: An Inventory of Scotland's Coal Industry in the Nationalised Era' by Miles Oglethorpe
This comprehensive RCAHMS publication was launched by David Hamilton MP in the Scottish Mining Museum at Lady Victoria Colliery, Midlothian on 30th June. The event was attended by over 100 guests, and the RCAHMS Chairman, Professor John R Hume, took the opportunity to explain the background to the book, which had resulted from a partnership project with the Scottish Mining Museum.
The book presents a brief history of the Scottish coal industry, concentrating on the period following nationalisation in 1947 until the re-privatisation and the subsequent closure of Scotland's last deep mine in 2002. At the heart of the well-illustrated 344-page hardback is a county-based inventory of all the coal mines to have worked in this period, and a glossary of mining terms. The book is designed to be of general historical interest, and of use in an educational and research context.
The book was sponsored by the Coal Authority, the National Union of Mineworkers, the Scottish Coal Industry Special Welfare Fund, the Mining Institute of Scotland Trust, and the Friends of the Scottish Mining Museum. As a result, it has been possible to offer it at an affordably low price, and it is for sale from RCAHMS for £15 (£20 overseas) including postage and packing. Go to our publications page to order a copy.