Bishopbriggs

History

Bishopbriggs' history stretches at least to Roman times, as Cadder was a Roman fort on the Antonine Wall, the furthest and most northerly boundary of the Roman Empire. As early as 1568, reference is made to a path northwards from Glasgow as the 'common passage to Bischopis Briggis'. Bishopbriggs was first documented in the Cadder Parish records of 1655, and was recorded to have had only eleven residents in the mid-18th century. Even more than a century later, after substantial growth, the village was still being referred to in the terms of the larger settlement of Cadder. By 1793, the introduction of new farming techniques had improved yields. While crops such as oats, barley, potatoes and flax flourished, Cadder's population fared less well; a decrease of around 600 from the mid-1760s was attributed to new agricultural methods which combined smaller farms or Run rigs and swept away independent tenants, known as the Lowland Clearances. By 1836 there were 'almost no cotters' with the largest farms employing no more than ten people, and some of those only as maid servants. Land reclamation (through drainage) changed the landscape so that crops could grow, where once there was only marshland. Dairy farming was relied upon to cover ground rents. With the completion of the Forth and Clyde Canal in 1790, the area began to attract ironstone and coal mining industry. The Carron Company, became the area's main employer, building the mining villages of Mavis Valley and Jellyhill to accommodate its workers. From there, the Forth and Clyde Canal formed a convenient and direct transport link with their famous ironworks near Falkirk. There were also freestone quarries established at Coltpark (Colston), Crowhill, Huntershill and Kenmure. Development during the 19th century was…

Most-observed species

• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,869
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  5,549
• Carrion Crow

  Corvus corone Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  5,022
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,395
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,934
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,861
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,756
• Lesser Black-backed Gull

  Larus fuscus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,636

Most recent

• M 3.5 — 2026-04-16
  42 km WNW of Comrie, United Kingdom
• M 3.9 — 2025-10-20
  29 km NW of Comrie, United Kingdom
• M 3.1 — 2021-11-16
  18 km NW of Lochgilphead, United Kingdom
• M 2.5 — 2018-08-30
  1 km ENE of Gourock, United Kingdom
• M 2.6 — 2017-11-01
  2 km NNW of Tarbert, United Kingdom
• M 3.6 — 2006-12-26
  2 km NW of Dumfries, United Kingdom