MineArchiveGarscube Colliery
| Location | Gilshochill, Maryhill, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire — 55.8967, -4.3097 (approximate) |
|---|---|
| Commodity | Coal |
| Type | Coal |
| Worked | Sinking began around 1850 under the Summerlee Iron Company.–Closed in 1966 and formally abandoned in 1967. |
| Maximum depth | No. 1 shaft reached approximately 116 metres, No. 2 approximately 110 metres. |
| Operators | Garscube Coal Company Limited (1921–1947), Dron & Company (1916–1921) |
| Status | Researched |
Overview
A Glasgow-area colliery at Gilshochill, Maryhill, sunk by the Summerlee Iron Company around 1850 and worked, through several changes of ownership, until 1966 -- its two deep shafts now buried beneath parkland with no trace remaining above ground.
History
Garscube Colliery was sunk from around 1850 by the Summerlee Iron Company, which held it until 1897. After a period of closure the mine was reopened in 1916 by Messrs Dron & Company, who worked it until 1921, after which it passed to the Garscube Coal Company Limited. The colliery was nationalised into the National Coal Board in 1947 and continued in production until its closure in 1966, with formal abandonment following in 1967. Two shafts served the mine as downcast and upcast ventilation workings, reaching roughly 116 metres and 110 metres respectively, alongside a surface mine working splint coal; peak recorded workforce was 311 men in 1963, against an average of 203.
Workings
Two shafts, roughly 116 and 110 metres deep, serving as downcast and upcast ventilation workings for the underground mine, alongside a separate surface mine extracting splint coal.
Closure
Closed in 1966 and formally abandoned the following year.
What remains
The site now lies buried beneath parkland beyond Cadder Road, with no surface structures surviving.
None; the site is now parkland.
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.
- The Summerlee Iron Company sank and held Garscube Colliery until 1897; it was reopened in 1916 by Dron & Company until 1921, then worked by the Garscube Coal Company Limited until nationalisation in 1947. 1
- The colliery was served by two shafts of roughly 116 and 110 metres, plus a surface mine for splint coal, with a peak recorded workforce of 311 men in 1963. 1
Sources
- (secondary) Garscube Colliery — Scottish Cave and Mine Database — Grampian Speleological Group / Scottish Cave and Mine Database
- (secondary) Bairds and Scottish Steel — Graces Guide
Record created: 30 August 2026 · Last researched: 30 August 2026