The Story of Scottish Coal

In contrast to the disappointment of Rothes Colliery, the mine shown here in one of architect Egon Riss's own drawings, was much more successful. It was situated in the Ayrshire coalfield at Ochiltree, to the southwest of Glasgow, and was able to produce over 1 million tons of coal per year. It opened in 1960, and employed over 2,000 for most of its operational life, eventually being closed down in 1987 not long after the British miners' strike.
After the opening of the new collieries in the 1960s, it was possible to close many of the old mines, many of which were unproductive, had poor facilities for the miners, and had safety problems. Between the late 1950s and 1970, over 100 of Scotland's collieries were closed down, and the improvements brought about by mechanisation in the new mines ensured that productivity was maintained.