Author : John Hood
ISBN : 9781840331097
Cover : paperback
Price : £6.99

The villages featured in this book – Balmaha, Blanefield, Carbeth, Croftamie, Dumgoyne, Drymen, Gartocharn, Milton of Buchanan and Strathblane – all lie on or near the banks of either the River Endrick or the Blane Water. Primarily agricultural, but with some small-scale industry, they benefited enormously from the arrival of the railways in the 1860s. Two separate lines, one belonging to the Forth & Clyde Junction Railway and the other to the Blane Valley Railway, improved communication links immeasurably, allowing farmers to reach new markets and permitting local people to travel to work in nearby towns. Many of the villages are now popular with day trippers, and although recognisable in these pictures a surprising number of changes can be seen. Railway enthusiasts will appreciate views of several of the (now closed) stations in this area, while you can also read about the origin of the well-known Carbeth huts.