Quaint, peaceful Airdrie started its life as a mining town during Scotland’s industrial boom. These days, it’s mostly home to people who commute to work in Edinburgh or Glasgow, as both cities are accessible from Airdrie. It’s filled with a mixture of 19th-century stone houses and 20th-century apartments, but no matter the architecture on the street, the views into the distance are more than likely to be sweeping countryside vistas and are particularly bucolic when you’re on the outskirts of town.
Airdrie is a 30-minute drive from the “outdoor art gallery” murals of Glasgow to its west and a 60-minute easterly drive to reach Edinburgh, but if renting a car isn’t on your agenda, the ScotRail train station is in the middle of Airdrie and links to both of its neighboring cities. The capital of Scotland, Edinburgh, is an expensive place to stay, with nightly hotel costs averaging around $250 if you’re lucky. The creative hub of Glasgow is a more affordable place to stay, but it’s a large city and can be quite boisterous. Staying in Airdrie at a typically British bed-and-breakfast-style guesthouse like Knight’s Rest is both affordable, at around $100 a night (as of this writing), and blissfully quiet.
Explore the cultural sites and green spaces of Airdrie
While this humble town does great service as a spot to base yourself when visiting other well-known places in Scotland, Airdrie does have its own cultural sites and green spaces to explore. There are opportunities for angling and getting closer to nature, as well as taking in history — just some of the many things Scotland is known for.
There’s very little trace of the coal mines whose whirring and churning once formed the soundtrack to life in Airdrie; Moss Side Park and Miners Walk that cuts through it are the only evidence of the mine to the west of the town, while the Stanrigg Memorial and Stanrigg Park Plains are all that’s left of the colossal mine to the northeast. If learning about life during the industrial age appeals to you as it does so many, head to the fascinating Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life, a massive open-air museum that is a real must-visit and offers free entry, too.
Airdrie has great spots for birdwatching, angling, and sitting with a picnic watching the world go by. Hillend Loch is the spot to take your fishing rods. Rawyards is a sprawling park with panoramic views over the countryside, bluebells in the spring, and incredible sunsets. It’s also home to the “Skytower,” a site-specific art piece by Scottish sculptor Rob Mulholland, whose crafted steel rods of varying lengths and widths stack up to make this 20-foot-high tower that looks as though it’s blowing away like a Scottish thistle.
Dive into Scottish history and nature on day trips from Airdrie
