Leadhills

Leadhills is a village in Lanarkshire, Scotland, 5¾ miles WSW of Elvanfoot. Population (1901) 835. It is the second highest village in Scotland after Wanlockhead, lying 1301 ft. above sea-level, near the source of Glengonner Water, an affluent of the River Clyde.

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Elvanfoot railway station was on the Caledonian Railway main line from Glasgow to the south. A branch from there ran through Leadhills to Wanlockhead and operated until 1939. Part of the route has been re-used by the Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway.

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Lead and silver have been mined here and at Wanlockhead, 1½ miles south west, for many centuries, according to some authorities even in Roman days. Gold was discovered in the reign of James IV, but though it is said then to have provided employment for 300 persons, its mining has long ceased to be profitable. The village is neat and well built, and contains a masonic hall and library, the latter founded by the miners about the middle of the 18th century.

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Allan Ramsay, the poet, and William Symington (1763-1831), one of the earliest adaptors of the steam engine to the purposes of navigation, were born at Leadhills.

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Lanarkshire: Lanarkshire (Siorrachd Lannraig in Gaelic) is a traditional county of Scotland....

Scotland: :For other uses, see Scotland (disambiguation). See also British Isles (terminology)....

Wanlockhead: Wanlockhead is a village in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland nestling in the Lowther Hills, which form part of the Southern Uplands. It is Scotland's highest village at 467m or 1531ft and the highest point of the Southern Upland Way, a walking trail that traditionally starts at Portpatrick on the west ...