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.)
History Construction It was built by BICC.Times Tuesday 27 October 1959, page 6
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).
It has a tall guyed mast, built in 1952. The mast was originally tall.
The station is owned by Arqiva.
Services available
Digital radio FrequencyBlockkWOperator222.064 MHz11D1.88Switch Scotland223.936 MHz12A4.6Digital One225.648 MHz12B10BBC National DAB
Analogue television VHF analogue television was transmitted from Kirk o' Shotts from its launch in 1952 until the nationwide shutdown of 405 line VHF signals in 1985. FrequencyVHFkWService3V100BBC One Scotland
See also List of masts List of tallest structures in the United Kingdom Salsburgh
References
Further reading Pawley, Edward, BBC Engineering 1922–1972, BBC Publications 1972,
External links Kirk o' Shotts mast and towers at www.lamont.me.uk Kirk o' Shotts at The Big Tower at www.thebigtower.com