Kirk o' Shotts transmitting station

The Kirk o' Shotts transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications site at The Hirst which lies just outside the village of Salsburgh which is near the town of Shotts in North Lanarkshire central Scotland. (Kirk o' Shotts means 'Church of Shotts' and takes its name from nearby Kirk o' Shotts Parish Church and Kirk o' Shotts Primary School both located as you enter the nearby village of Salsburgh.)

Kirk o' Shotts
Kirk o' Shotts transmitting station is located in North Lanarkshire
Kirk o' Shotts transmitting station
Kirk o' Shotts transmitting station (North Lanarkshire)
LocationSalsburgh, North Lanarkshire
Mast height183 metres (600 ft)
Coordinates55.852778°N 3.826111°W / 55.852778; -3.826111
Grid referenceNS8569563679
Built1952
BBC regionBBC Scotland (1952–1985)

History

Construction

It was built by BICC.[1]

Transmission

The BBC 405-line television service in Scotland started from Kirk o' Shotts on 14 March 1952 using low power reserve transmitters (Marconi). Full service began on 17 August 1952 using the main high power transmitters (Vision EMI Type 5704, Sound STC Type CTS-12). The station provided a service to a potential 4.1 million viewers and operated on Channel 3 (Vision 56.75 MHz, Sound 53.25 MHz) and transmissions were vertically polarised.

It subsequently became the main national FM transmitting station for the area, although that role is now filled by the nearby site at Black Hill.

Three DAB multiplexes are broadcast from the site: BBC (12B), Digital One (12A) and Switch Scotland (11D).[2]

It has a 183 metres (600 ft) tall guyed mast, built in 1952. The mast was originally 228.6 metres (750 ft) tall.

The station is owned by Arqiva.

Services available

Digital radio
Frequency Block kW Operator
222.064 MHz 11D 1.88 Switch Scotland
223.936 MHz 12A 4.6 Digital One
225.648 MHz 12B 10 BBC National DAB

Analogue television

VHF analogue television was transmitted from Kirk o' Shotts from its launch in 1952 until the nationwide shutdown of VHF signals in 1985.

Frequency VHF kW Service
56.75 MHz 3 100 BBC1 Scotland

See also

References
  1. Times Tuesday 27 October 1959, page 6
  2. "The Transmission Gallery: Kirk o' Shotts Transmitter photographs and information".

Further reading
  • Pawley, Edward, BBC Engineering 1922–1972, BBC Publications 1972, ISBN 0-563-12127-0
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