In the far end of East Ayrshire, a few miles to the east of Muirkirk, lies the site of a former mining village called Glenbuck.
What was once a bustling village with over 1000 residents, is now just a memorial to those who lived and worked there. What makes the site truly remarkable, is that this isolated mining village produced 50 professional footballers in 50 years, including legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly.
I recently got to visit the village for the first time, in a professional context. I was bringing the original Ayrshire Junior Cup to the site to be filmed by the BBC for a documentary they were making. Why was I bringing it to this remote location in East Ayrshire?
Because the original winners were the Glenbuck Cherry Pickers, who had won the trophy three times in a row, in 1889/90, 1890/91 and 1891/92.
What I’d expected to be a run-of-the-mill filming session ended up being a fascinating dive into the history of a small, East Ayrshire mining village and of football in the UK.
I remember watching the football historian being filmed, moved almost to tears as he held the old Junior Cup at the site of the former pitch of the Glenbuck Cherrypickers, and thinking “what a special place this is. I didn’t even know it existed.” I’d also gotten to meet the niece of Bill Shankly and some of the volunteers who had worked so hard to make the Heritage Village a reality.
“Over 150 invited guests from the local community, Scottish Government, East Ayrshire Council, Scottish Mines Restoration Trust and partners who contributed to opencast restoration, were treated to a preview of the works that have taken place in Glenbuck, with an opportunity to reflect on the village’s unique past.”
– From Muirkirk.org
As I walked through the interpretation boards, learning about those who had played for Tottenham Hotspur and a host of other clubs, reading about the history of the village and the mining operations, and discovering that it has become a site of pilgrimage for Liverpool fans to visit the birthplace of Bill Shankly, I decided that I had to come back and write a blog post on this hidden piece of football history in Ayrshire.
Getting There
I mentioned the Heritage Village to my dad and he too wanted to see the village for himself, especially the memorial to Shankly. So on a bright, sunny day we set off for Ayrshire. Using my satnav, it guided us to the general area of Glenbuck, which sits on the A70 to the east of Muirkirk and to the west of Douglas. It’s not particularly well sign-posted, with one sign on the road at Glenbuck Loch, pointing to the Heritage Village. It’s on an awkward bend so be careful and keep your eyes open as you approach.
Soon enough, we were pulling into the large, free carpark and it was very quiet with just one other car. I hadn’t been sure whether to expect it to be very busy or very quiet and I’d gotten the latter. It just added to the remote atmosphere of the site. Although it does make me wonder how many are aware of it’s existence!
The site has a wonderful feeling of history. Of prescence. What is, fundamentally, a small, rectangular patch of land with some scattered interpretation boards and monuments, is so much more than that.
Once you realise, through reading the interpretation and using your imagination, that it used to be the site of a bustling mining village wth a school, post office and an active mine, then it really comes to life. Children grew up there, families lived and died there and a generation of footballers were produced from it.
“No disrespect to Glenbuck, but you would have been as far away from civilization in Outer Mongolia.“
– Bill Shankly
The quiet modern-day, desolate, site contrasts hugely with what used to be there. Standing on the nice path, wandering around the site reading the interpretation, with the old disused viaduct in the distance and mining-scarred landscape, all while birds chirped and through the silence makes it a truly unique spot in Scotland.
A Nursery of Footballers
The small mining village has a huge, frankly bizarre, football heritage and it is a fundamental part of learning about the village. It isn’t just Liverpool F.C. that is the focus. There is a board dedicated to Tottenham’s 1901 F.A. cup winning team, which featured Sandy Tait and Sandy Brown, both from Glenbuck.
There is also the large, black monolith monument to all the players the village had produced.
It’s hard not to be swept up in the romance of their stories. Standing there, in a valley in the middle of nowhere in East Ayrshire, I couldn’t help but repeatedly think “how did a place like this produce so many great footballers?”.
There are interpretation boards which tell the history of the village and a variety of other monuments.
Two are of religious interest, firstly ‘The Burning Bush’, which quotes Exodus and is an impressive monument. Secondly, a monument to two covenanters who were killed. They both stand close to another, smaller monument which was erected by the miners in honour of Queen Victoria in 1897.
At the far end is a small tablet and a bench, dedicated to Jimmy Flowers, a huge Liverpool fan who had played an integral role in getting the original memorial to Bill Shankly established at the site. He died of pancreatic cancer and is now forever memorialised at Glenbuck.
A Site of Pilgrimage – Bill Shankly
The real highlight of the village, is the memorial to Bill Shankly. It sits at the rear of the Heritage Village and below the rest of the site.
Liverpool flags adorn the surrounding benches and tributes are draped along the walls. It’s an amazing sight to behold and really very moving. It has become a pilgrimage site for Liverpool fans, with various tributes to Shankly but also some to fans who have been lost. Memorials to lost sons sit along the monument and I couldn’t help but notice a weathered teddy bear sitting close to the monument.
If you are a Liverpool fan it’s a must-visit. But, like me, if you are a football fan it’s also a must-see. The drive was well worth getting to stand at the birthplace of one of the greatest Scottish football managers of all time. The fact that this man had touched so many people that there was a memorial to him in such a remote place, covered in so many trbutes, is something truly special.
If you have any affection for Liverpool, football or sport in general, you owe it to yourself to come and visit.
“Pressure is working down the pit. Pressure is having no work at all. Pressure is trying to escape relegation on 50 shillings a week. Pressure is not the European Cup or the Championship or the Cup Final. That’s the reward.” – Bill Shankly
The Walk
Once you have finished walking around the Heritage Village, there are a variety of walks that can be done around the wider area. They vary in length and difficulty, some of which go out to the former mining sites and locations of various buildings.
We decided on the 3 mile circuit, which climbs uphill to the site of the mines and loops around the moor giving wonderful views over the entire region. At 3 miles, it makes for a gentle walk and allows you to soak up some more of the ambiance and gain an appreciation for what it must have been like to live and work here.
I would recommend some sturdy footwear as the path was very uneven and felt every bit like a former mine! At points, the scarred landscape felt a bit like walking on the surface of the moon.
The landscape, however, tells the story of the work that had gone on in the village for so many years. Deep pools of freezing water sit far below mined cliff faces while mounds of scree lie untouched, with some huge boulders strewn about.
It’s desolate and another remarkable aspect of the site.
The views above the village are fantastic and spread far across Ayrshire. We even saw some geese, strolling around in the long grass!
Before we knew it, we were arriving back at the village. Time enough for one last look around before heading for home.
Conclusion
I can’t recommend this little bit of industrial and sporting history enough. It simultaneously tells the fascinating story of a remote mining village in East Ayrshire and the people who lived their lives there.
It also tells the incredible story of how that tiny village produced 50 professional footballers in as many years, including one of the greatest Scottish managers of all time.
The village reminded me of the Woodhead Mining Village at Meaul, which is also now gone, but the story of the footballers and Bill Shankly is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
It’s a part of Ayrshire and Scottish history, but also a part of Liverpool F.C. history. I strongly recommend adding it to your ‘to visit’ list.
It doesn’t surprise me that all the benches are red.
Information
Opening Times: 08:00 – 19:00 (Closes at 16:30pm in winter)
Parking: FREE
Postcode: KA18 SNL
Walk Length: 3 miles