Glenbuck Heritage Village, East Ayrshire, Scotland, UK. The former mining village birthplace of the legendry Liverpool Football Manager Bill Shankly


Glenbuck experienced times of mixed fortune. Its population peaked at the start of the twentieth century, when coal mining flourished, but most of its residents had moved away by the end of the century, following the demise of mining in the area around that time. The village was demolished when opencast mining was introduced to the area, but public interest in the village has endured, thanks to the legacy of its most famous son, Bill Shankly. Bill Shankly was one of a family of 10 children and he and his five brothers all went on to play professional football, but in total, some 50 members of the famous Glenbuck team, the Cherrypickers, also progressed to professional teams, establishing an incredible legacy for the tiny mining village. The redevelopment of the site of the village formed part of the overall restoration of opencast sites across East Ayrshire and the works have included the relocation of a number of memorials from the nearby village of Muirkirk to Glenbuck. The famous Shankly memorial has been relocated to the plot where the Shankly family home once stood, and nearby, a new memorial has been erected to commemorate the famous Cherrypickers, overlooking Burnside Park, the pitch where they used to play. A number of interpretation boards have also been installed to give visitors an insight into the history of the village over the centuries. The site has been restored thanks to the combined efforts of East Ayrshire Council and Scottish Mines Restoration Trust. Ownership of the Glenbuck heritage site will shortly transfer to East Ayrshire Council.


Size: 5760px × 3840px
Location: Glenbuck, nr Muirkirk, East Ayrshire Scotland, UK
Photo credit: © Alister Firth / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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