Fascinating history of path
Murray Cook tells the story of route used by miners
You will have walked past this lane hundreds of times and I’m sure you will never have even noticed it, let alone walked it.
It’s the longest surviving section of the ancient path that started at Upper Craigs, ran past the back of the Burghmuir Shopping Centre, alongside the Islamic Centre and eventually on to Broadleys Farm and beyond.
Its winding course follows the now canalised Town Burn which flowed from the medieval Town Mill Pond (now under the Thistles) and was fed by the ancient spring at Wellgreen (the well on the green!) and eventually joined the Pelstream – which of course helped trap the English on day two of the Battle of Bannockburn.
The Town Burn started from the 500-600 year old fish pond in the Royal Park (now next to the golf club clubhouse) which still fills up every winter and ran along Dumbarton Road, under the city gate and along Port Street.
It helped defend the town from invaders, it fed mills, tanneries and a variety of other industries all now gone, although it still flows under all our feet to this day!
In the 1930s and 40s the path to the side of the burn became known as the Miner’s Path, as it was the route that miners walked to Millhall (Polmaise Colliery Pits 1 and 2), before the Braehead houses were built.
A lovely walk through fields in the fresh air, before plunging into the claustrophobic darkness.
Mining, the jobs and their bings dominated Stirling from the middle of the 20 th century and if you know where to look there are still traces but the pits are silent now and no more miners walk along the Miner’s Path.