About
Biggar Gasworks made coal gas for the town and district for more than 130 years, from 1839 to 1973, one of the first small-town gasworks in Scotland and among the last to close, and it is now the only preserved gasworks left in the country. It survives remarkably complete, down to the coal barrows and shovels: coal sheds, retorts, condenser, exhauster, purifiers, gas meter, gasholders, office and showroom. The oldest building is the retort house of 1839, later the coal store; in its day the gasman burned 400 tons of coal a year for 320 customers and more than a hundred street lights. The visitor centre is in the house built for the gasman and his family in 1858, and some steam-driven machines can be seen working. The story reaches back to the 1780s, when Archibald Cochrane lit rooms at Culross with coal gas. Entry is free, with donations encouraged, and knowledgeable volunteers show visitors round on summer weekend afternoons only. There is a gravel car park beside it.
ClosedPick a day for times and prices
- Until 2 Apr
- Closed
- From 3 Apr
- Weekends 12:00–16:00, last entry 15:30
Today, Saturday 24 October
- Biggar Gasworks MuseumClosed
Opening times may change at short notice.
Historic Scotland: 1 April to 30 September, Saturday and Sunday 12 noon to 4pm, closed Monday to Friday; last entry 30 minutes before closing; closed 1 October to 31 March. Its page said 'Closed today' on 20 October 2026. Reviewers say the museum is opened by volunteer guides, and recommend visiting on a steam day, when a boiler is fired and some of the machinery works; no current steam-day dates are published.
The visitor centre, with a short film (no induction loop), has a single step; all the buildings open off a mainly gravel courtyard with some brick paths, and most have a single step. Assistance dogs are permitted at all Historic Scotland sites and within roofed areas. Contact 01899 221 070.
Photo: The stone gas showroom at Biggar Gasworks with its painted 'Gas Showrooms' sign and the museum notice by the gate. Magnus Hagdorn from UK, CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Biggar_Gas_Works_(48506520922).jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
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