The Beginning:-

Galston as we know it started around the beginning of the 19th century.

Early Historic Landmarks:-

In 1297, William Wallace and fifty other Scots passed through Galston on their way to fight and defeat one hundred and eighty English at Loudoun Hill.

In 1307, Robert the Bruce with his army of one thousand two hundred camped in Galston on their way to Loudoun Hill where they defeated an army of three thousand English troops which was an important step in the struggle for the crown.

In 1545, the Protestant martyr George Wishart preached in the Barr Castle.

A year later George Wishart was arrested by the Earl of Bothwell, and afterwards handed over to the Cardinal Archbishop, tried by him as a heretic, and on the 1st March 1546 burned at the stake in front of the Castle of St Andrews. In 1556, John Knox preached in the Barr Castle. The Parish church can be traced back to the 13th century. The Barr and Cessnock Castles were built in the 15th century. St. Sophia's was built in 1886. In 1941, Loudoun Castle destroyed by fire.

 In 1790, there were about 100 people employed in the textile trade producing fine linen, shoemaking was also quite prominent. Mining became the main industry around the middle of the 19th century and survived until around 1935.

In 2009, what remains? a Coop superstore, a knitwear factory, some light engineering, a food company and there is a haulage company that employ staff of any significance. The rest of the employment comes from small business and the rest of the working population in Galston has to travel to seek employment.

Present;-

The town was bypassed in the mid 70s and yet some 40 years later the centre of town is as congested as ever, with 40 ton lorries using it as a short cut, negotiating roads and corners that was never meant for vehicles half the size, to reach the purpose built motorways that was to take them out of small towns.

Talk about green policy it must be one of the unhealthiest town centre’s around with all the vehicle fumes getting up everyone’s noses.

Anyone out there got any thoughts give us an e mail on the subject.

The Future:-

Work seems to be happening in the main part of town with buildings being knocked down. The flats at Chapel Lane and the two buildings at the corner of Bridge Street and Cross Street, that have been held together by scaffolding for as many years that I can remember, and were real eyesores.