Abandoned Communities ..... Ayrshire
If you visit Glenbuck today you will find that coal is again being extracted from the hillside. Surface mining is being undertaken by H J Banks. When I went there on a Saturday morning in April 2008 Site Manager Ian Ritchie warned me to wait until 12 o’clock before wandering around the site. At that time work would come to an end for the weekend and it would be safe to cross the roads of black mud where huge trucks might pass at any moment.
It is difficult now to identify the layout of the former village. The road into the village is still the approach road to the mining site, but the main street through the village has disappeared. The ground where Glenbuck Cherrypickers played is now an area prone to waterlogging on the left of the road. On the hillside to the right you can see Glenbuck Farm. It was occupied until a few years ago, but it too has become derelict.
A few houses still exist outside the mining area, some distance from the old village. One of them is lived in by Kirti Mandir, a versatile artist. The Miners’ Memorial in Muirkirk was done by Kirti. If you happen to meet him he will be happy to invite you to his home and let you see his sculptures.
Kirti Mandir’s website can be found at www.kirtimandir.com.
It is difficult now to identify the layout of the former village. The road into the village is still the approach road to the mining site, but the main street through the village has disappeared. The ground where Glenbuck Cherrypickers played is now an area prone to waterlogging on the left of the road. On the hillside to the right you can see Glenbuck Farm. It was occupied until a few years ago, but it too has become derelict.
A few houses still exist outside the mining area, some distance from the old village. One of them is lived in by Kirti Mandir, a versatile artist. The Miners’ Memorial in Muirkirk was done by Kirti. If you happen to meet him he will be happy to invite you to his home and let you see his sculptures.
Kirti Mandir’s website can be found at www.kirtimandir.com.
Four
The road into Glenbuck, with the remains of old walls
Trucks parked on or close to where the main street through the village used to be
Glenbuck Farm
Kirti Mandir