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AIRDRIE, parliamentary burgh, 12 miles east-by-north of Glasgow. It was no more than a small hamlet so late as 1725 ; and it rose into consequence, and has continued to prosper, in connection with mining and manufacture. It includes a long, spacious, well-built principal street ; but it is incompact, and straggles into suburbs. It has a head post office with all departments, 2 railway stations, 4 banking offices, a large hotel, a neat town hall, a company's public hall, 3 Established churches, 4 Free churches, 2 United Presbyterian churches, Congregational, Evangelical Union, Baptist, Wesleyan, and Roman Catholic chapels, 3 public schools, 2 academies, and 2 other schools, and it publishes a weekly newspaper. One of its Established churches was erected in 1875, at a cost of about 6000, and contains about 900 sittings. One of the public schools was erected in 1876, at a cost of about 8000, and has accommodation for about 800 scholars. The burgh unites with Hamilton, Lanark, Falkirk, and Linlithgow in sending a member to Parliament. Pop. 13,363.
