Cumbernauld, one of Scotland's new towns, is located beside the M80, and only a few miles from the M73, M8, and M74, it has excellent road links to Glasgow, Stirling and the North of Scotland.
There are also regular train services to Edinburgh and Glasgow and other parts of Lanarkshire.
A Brief History of Cumbernauld
Cumbernauld is interpreted from the Gaelic "The meeting of the waters", a reference to the Luggie Water and the Red Burn which are close to the village.
The original settlement is believed to have been started in Roman times under the shelter of the Antonine Wall.
Cumbernauld Village/Cumbernauld Estate has a pre-medieval history of which the Cumbernauld House was the base (prior to this, Cumbernauld Castle). The Estate comprised of a large natural forest in which King James IV hunted for deer and the "wild" white cattle, by invitation of its owners the Flemings, later given the hereditary title Earls of Wigtown.
By the early Middle Ages the settlement must have grown to a respectable size to warrant the Comyns placing their chapel here. With the Flemings' decision to build their castle, and make Cumbernauld their principal seat, the place would assume its present form, demonstrating the classical layout of a medieval Scottish town, with its principal street running from castle to church.
The town had two other distinct phases in its history. In the original 17th century village the main industry was handloom weaving, but with the onset of the industrial revolution, and due to its proximity to the Forth and Clyde canal, the local economy changed.
By the 17th and 18th centuries, most of the Estate comprised tenanted farm holdings including Upper and Lower Abronhill, Carbrain, Kildrum, Hole, Tannoch, Seafar, Ravenswood, Eastfield, Palacerigg Greenfaulds, Forrest farms, Balloch and several more.
Mining and quarrying sprang up to take advantage of the rich minerals which were to be found in the area, coupled with cheap accessible transportation via the canal.
The origins of Cumbernauld New Town lie in the era of urban reconstruction which followed World War II.
The 1946 Clyde Valley Regional Plan established a framework for the dispersal of population from the more crowded areas of Glasgow to new towns, and the comprehensive renewal of inner-urban areas. Cumbernauld's strategic location, and the area's limited amount of agricultural land, led to it being considered as an appropriate new town location.
When the mining industry in Scotland declined, Cumbernauld and the surrounding villages were given a boost with the creation of the New Town of Cumbernauld in 1956. High tech industries flocked to the area and it now enjoys one of the healthiest, local economies in Scotland.
Present Day
Key sectors within the town include engineering, manufacturing and distribution. Over the last few years a range of company expansions have been reported for Cumbernauld. Many of these have come from foreign direct investors who are planning to enhance their operational base in the town.
The strategic location of the town is also an attraction for distribution companies. And recently the Cumbernauld town hall and town centre underwent extensive redevlopment.
Cumbernauld is still growing. New housing is being constructed to the north of the town and further business and industrial locations are being brought forward.
Cumbernauld boasts its own airport , which has many airborne pursuits, and is home to Clyde FC at the Broadwood Stadium and Cumbernauld Rugby FC.
Famous faces from Cumbernauld
Jon Fratelli
John Lawler, also known as Jon Fratelli, is the front man, lead vocals and guitarist of the Glasgwegain band The Fratellis.
The Dykeenies
The Dykeenies formed in Cumbernauld in 2005. The band is made up of three brothers Alan, Andrew and Brian Henderson as well as Steven Ramsay and John Kerr who are childhood friends of the brothers.
Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson is an internationally renowned comedian, writer, actor and talk show host. Ferguson was born in Glasgow but grew up in Cumbernauld.