Kilmacolm - Economy

Economy

Prior to the Victorian era gentrification of the village, Kilmacolm had an almost entirely agricultural economy. Its income was boosted in the late 18th century by being a site of fairs, markets and religious events. In the 18th and 19th centuries, weaving took place in the village producing cotton and linen. This production initially existed as a cottage industry and later a small factory was opened in the 1870s. The 19th century saw a downturn in the village, which was slow to adopt modern farming practices and overtaken in importance by other nearby settlements.

The village's Victorian and Edwardian expansion was largely a response to the greater commuting opportunities available following the arrival of the railway in the village in 1869. The laying of a railway line through Kilmacolm occurred in order to provide a direct boat train link between Glasgow's St Enoch station and the harbour at Princes Pier in Greenock. The clean air of the parish was hailed as having great health benefits, attracting both visitors and new residents who constructed significant residential properties in the village.

Since this time, the village has been primarily a residential dormitory settlement, with the economy accordingly altering its focus to the provision of services to residents and visitors. Kilmacolm developed as a holiday resort in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mainly surrounding the hydropathic hotel opened in 1880.