The Story of Scottish Coal
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An artist's impression of Scotland's first new 'Superpit', which was built to the design of Egon Riss, and which was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1958.
© Crown copyright: RCAHMS, SC706943, 1958
© Crown copyright: RCAHMS, SC706943, 1958
In the 1950s, the demand for coal remained very high, so the British government invested heavily in Scotland, where it anticipated some of the best coal reserves were to be found.
They chose to put their faith in a number of very large new collieries, each designed to employ over 2,000 miners. In Scotland, these were designed by an Austrian architect, Egon Riss, who was well known before World War Two for his social housing and hospital projects in Austria. Riss was appointed the chief architect for the National Coal Board in Scotland, and was responsible for several major projects.
Not all were successful. This mine, 'Rothes Colliery', was situated in Fife, to the north of Edinburgh, and worked only for four years after being opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in 1958.
They chose to put their faith in a number of very large new collieries, each designed to employ over 2,000 miners. In Scotland, these were designed by an Austrian architect, Egon Riss, who was well known before World War Two for his social housing and hospital projects in Austria. Riss was appointed the chief architect for the National Coal Board in Scotland, and was responsible for several major projects.
Not all were successful. This mine, 'Rothes Colliery', was situated in Fife, to the north of Edinburgh, and worked only for four years after being opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in 1958.