Our next meeting will be on Thursday 6th March at 7:30pm in the Park Centre, when Don Martin MBE will give a talk on "Symington and the Charlotte Dundas". Don Martin has been a member of Kirkintilloch Society of Antiquaries for half a century, serving as an office-bearer for much of the time. He has researched many aspects of Kirkintilloch history and written several books on the subject, as well as providing many talks for the Antiquaries. At present he is carrying out further research into the Monkland & Kirkintilloch Railway, the 200th anniversary of which will take place in 2026.
Closely related to public railway history is the history of steam navigation, especially on rivers and canals. Don Martin will explain how the trials by William Symington of the Charlotte Dundas on the Forth & Clyde Canal, especially in 1803, effectively demonstrated the vessel as "the world's first practical steamboat". In this way, the people of Kirkintilloch witnessed significant early advances in mechanical navigation, as well as hosting a significant early railway.
