MineArchiveAuchlochan Colliery
| Location | Coalburn, South Lanarkshire — 55.5560, -3.9130 (approximate) |
|---|---|
| Commodity | Coal |
| Type | Coal |
| Worked | 1890–1968 |
| Maximum depth | Two shafts: No. 9 at 99 metres, No. 10 at 108 metres. |
| Operators | W.C.S. Cunningham (1890–1900), Caprington & Auchlochan Collieries Ltd (1905–1934), William Dixon Ltd (1934–1947), National Coal Board (1947–1968) |
| Status | Researched |
Overview
A Coalburn colliery worked 1890-1968 through a changing succession of five owners, whose No. 9 shaft was the last deep mine in Coalburn to close.
History
Auchlochan Colliery was opened in 1890 at Coalburn, with coaling beginning in 1894, worked through two brick-lined shafts -- No. 9 (99 metres deep) and No. 10 (108 metres deep). Ownership passed through five distinct phases: W.C.S. Cunningham from 1890, Caprington & Auchlochan Collieries from around 1905, incorporated as Caprington & Auchlochan Collieries Ltd by 1915, William Dixon Ltd from 1934 (having bought the colliery from that company's liquidator), and finally the National Coal Board from 1947. The colliery produced around 600 tonnes of coal a day in 1948. Auchlochan No. 9 was the last deep mine working in Coalburn, finally closing on Friday 13 July 1968.
Workings
Worked via two brick-lined shafts, No. 9 (99m) and No. 10 (108m); output reached around 600 tonnes of coal a day in 1948.
Closure
Closed on Friday 13 July 1968, the last deep mine working in Coalburn.
What remains
No reliable current-condition detail specific to the colliery site has yet been located.
A spoil heap (bing) associated with the colliery survives in the landscape near Coalburn.
Abandoned workings can be dangerous — unstable ground, uncapped shafts, flooding and bad air are common even where a site looks safe from the surface. This entry describes history and general location only; it is not an access guide.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Auchlochan Colliery passed through W.C.S. Cunningham, Caprington & Auchlochan Collieries (Ltd from 1915), William Dixon Ltd (from 1934, bought from the liquidator) and the National Coal Board (from 1947). 1
- The colliery worked via two brick-lined shafts, No. 9 at 99 metres and No. 10 at 108 metres deep, producing around 600 tonnes of coal a day in 1948. 2
Photographs & further reading
This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this mine.
A fuller account of ownership and production at Auchlochan.
View sourceSources
- (secondary) Auchlochan Collieries — Wikipedia
- (secondary) Auchlochan Colliery, South Lanarkshire — Mindat
Record created: 1 September 2026 · Last researched: 1 September 2026