View source for Kirk o' Shotts transmitting station

{{Short description|Transmitter station in North Lanarkshire, Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox UK transmitter
|name                = Kirk o' Shotts
|image               =
|map_name = Scotland North Lanarkshire
|coordinates = {{coord|55.852778|-3.826111|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
|location            = [[Salsburgh]], [[North Lanarkshire]]
|height              = {{convert|183|m|ft|0}}
|gridref             = NS8569563679
|built               = 1952
|demolished          = 
|collapsed           = 
|BBC                 = [[BBC Scotland]] <small>(1952&ndash;1985)</small>
}}
The '''Kirk o' Shotts transmitting station''' is a [[broadcasting]] and [[telecommunication]]s 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 [[British Insulated Callender's Cables|BICC]].<ref>''Times'' Tuesday 27 October 1959, page 6</ref>

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

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

Three DAB multiplexes are broadcast from the site: BBC (12B), Digital One (12A) and Switch Scotland (11D).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/kirkoshotts/| title = The Transmission Gallery: Kirk o' Shotts Transmitter photographs and information}}</ref>

It has a {{convert|183|m|ft|0}} tall guyed [[radio masts and towers|mast]], built in 1952. The mast was originally {{convert|228.6|m|ft|0}} tall.

The station is owned by [[Arqiva]].

==Services available==

===Digital radio===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Frequency
!Block
!kW
!Operator
|-
|222.064&nbsp;MHz
|11D
|1.88
|[[Switch Scotland]]
|-
|223.936&nbsp;MHz
|12A
|4.6
|[[Digital One]]
|-
|225.648&nbsp;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.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!{{no2}}Frequency
!{{no2}}VHF
!{{no2}}kW
!{{no2}}Service
|-
|{{UK System A|ch=3}}
|3
|100
|[[BBC One Scotland|BBC1 Scotland]]
|}

==See also==
*[[List of masts]]
*[[List of tallest structures in the United Kingdom]]
*[[Salsburgh]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Pawley, Edward,  ''BBC Engineering 1922–1972'', BBC Publications 1972, {{ISBN|0-563-12127-0}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.lamont.me.uk/broadcast/kirkoshotts/ Kirk o' Shotts mast and towers] at www.lamont.me.uk
* [https://www.thebigtower.com/live/KOS/Index.HTM Kirk o' Shotts at The Big Tower] at www.thebigtower.com

{{Television transmitters in the UK}}
{{Kirk_o'Shotts_VHF_405-line_Transmitter_Group}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Transmitter sites in Scotland]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in North Lanarkshire]]