This survey provides an accessible and broad-ranging synthesis of existing knowledge on historic Kilsyth, as well as offers conservation guidance for future development. The historic town of Kilsyth is situated in the Kelvin valley in North Lanarkshire - beside the old road between Edinburgh and Glasgow. It developed from a small medieval town set between its castle and parish church to become a burgh of barony in 1620. Its many historic buildings and ruins tell of its colourful history, including the destruction of its castle by Oliver Cromwell in 1650. It later expanded in the industrial period, becoming a centre of the textile industry, and later with the construction of the Forth and Clyde canal it was important for coal mining and quarrying.