SAW019794 SCOTLAND (1948). Leadhills and Lowther Hills. An oblique aerial photograph taken facing south. This image has been produced from a print.

Leadhills is the second highest village in Scotland after nearby Wanlockhead. It owes its location to the rich lead deposits which were mined on an industrial scale from the 17th century.



When in 1735 the mines ceased to be profitable, the Scots Mining Company appointed James Stirling as a Manager. He began to radically reform the working and living conditions of the mining families, securing for any miner the right to land for houses and plots of ground or ‘yards’ for cultivation. The cottages and gardens scattered around the hillside in Leadhills are a modern reminder of how land tenure has influenced the pattern of development in the village.



The main building type at Leadhills is the single or one-and-a-half storey cottage row. This traditional ‘basic cottage’ design includes low eaves, and a single door with windows to either side. The front entrance door is usually positioned off-centre within the front elevation to the property.



(Information from South Lanarkshire Council, Leadhills Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan: consult.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/file/253305)