AIRDRIE, a parliamentary and municipal burgh and market-town of Scotland, in the parish of New Monkland, Lanarkshire, 11 miles E. of Glasgow and 32 W. of Edinburgh. The high road between these cities passes through Airdrie, forming its principal street, from which others diverge at right angles. It is well built, paved, and lighted with gas, but it contains little that is beautiful or attractive. It possesses a fine town-hall and a handsome edifice erected as the county buildings, as well as two places of worship belonging to the Church of Scotland, three to the Free Church, two to the United Presbyterians, and one each to the Reformed Presbyterians, the Congregationalists, the Baptists, the Wesleyan Methodists, and the Roman Catholics; five branch banks, with excellent places of business constructed or in course of construction; a mechanics’ institute, and several schools. The extensive coal and iron mines in the vicinity give employment to a large part of the population of Airdrie, and have been the means of raising it, since the commencement of the century, from the insignificance of a village to its present prosperity. In the town itself there are manufactories of cotton goods and iron wares, besides foundries, engineering shops, saw-mills, and other branches of industry. A branch of the North British Railway from Glasgow, passing through Airdrie to Edinburgh, connects it by a direct line with both cities. It is also connected with Glasgow by the Monkland Canal, which comes within a mile of the town. By the Reform Act of 1832 Airdrie was created a parliamentary burgh, uniting with Falkirk, Hamilton, Lanark, and Linlithgow in sending one member to parliament. Its municipal corporation, which dates from 1821, consists of twelve councillors, including a provost and ...