[Scotland] Looking back at the mining history of the Lothians and legacy of pit closures – by Alasdair Clark (Edinburgh Live – February 21, 2021)

https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/

A new book is shining fresh light on Lothians mining history, examining the impact of pit closures on local communities like those in Midlothian.

Written by Dr Ewan Gibbs, a historian from Glasgow, the book focusses on central Scotland and the communities that “owe their existence” to the rapid expansion of coal mining in Scotland.

It promises to examine the impact of the closure of Scotland’s coal mines, and the subsequent deindustrialization of communities which were once centred around coal mining.

‘Coal Country: The Meaning and Memory of Deindustrialization in Postwar Scotland’, draws on testimony from miners and their families from across Scotland, shining light on how the end of coal mining affected communities then and now.

After the last coal field was flooded in 2002, Dr Gibbs examined the lasting legacy and what communities once shaped by the industry look like years after the last workers were laid off.

For the rest of this article: https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/looking-back-mining-history-lothians-19884586