Our quarries have been in use for well over a century, and their first recorded use played a big part in developing the Scottish transport infrastructure as we know it today.The first time that we know rock was ever extracted commercially from the site was back in 1896, when the deposits were used to provide track ballast for the new railway lines which were being built at the time.
Back in the Victorian era, the then Cairngryffe quarry was owned and operated by Lanark County Council. It was originally named after the hill which had formed the deposits.The council decided to close down the Cairngryffe quarry along with some other small quarries nearby in 1935, and installed a modern (for the 1930s) crushing, screening and asphalt coating plant at Cairngryffe in its place. For some time afterwards, every road in Lanarkshire was a vibrant bright red colour – very distinctive!
Cairngryffe carried on as a local authority quarry until it was taken over in 1986. The current operator replaced Tilcon at Cloburn quarry, which was located on the other side of Cairngryffe Hill, in 1982.
Today the two quarries have merged together, making them one of the UK's largest mainland quarries with an enviable history of supplying high quality granite aggregates to a wide range of customers throughout the UK, Europe and the Far East.
The future looks bright too; a recent planning grant has secured the future of Cloburn Quarry until well into the 21st Century.
