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Trade and Industry

In the early 18th century, many manufacturing trades were still operating as they had done in the Middle Ages. This would soon change, and the pace of change was fastest in the growing cities.

Merchants and new prosperity

Follow how Glasgow in particular benefited from the expansion of overseas trade following the Act of Union. The tobacco and sugar trades were the foundations of the city's success (Case 2).

Coal and iron

Coal and iron were the essential ingredients in the take-off of industrial manufacture which began in the 18th century. The foundation of the Carron Ironworks in 1759 was a milestone in Scotland's industrial development. Soon Scotland became a world leader in the smelting and founding of iron.

Wrought and cast iron had a great range of industrial and domestic uses, from the carronade (ship’s gun), perhaps the most famous product of the Carron Ironworks, to a cast iron teapot (Case 10).

Later, with the development in 1856 of the Bessemer converter which enabled bulk steel making, steel came into the picture (Case 11). One of Scotland's most famous steel structures is the Forth Rail Bridge.

Money comes of age

If coal was the fuel of the Industrial Revolution, money was also essential to make the wheels turn. Displays illustrate how Scotland took the lead in many aspects of banking and insurance, pioneering branch banking, the wide acceptance of banknotes and the overdraft (Cases 12 and 13).