Life of Post-WWII Scotland Through Amazing Found Photos

The end of the Second World War was a major turning point in the modern history of Scotland. With the fighting over, hopes were high that the country would play a leading role in the confident New Britain.

However, For Scotland, the 1940s marked the beginning of a long economic slide which was to end in the industrial devastation and widespread misery of the Thatcher years.
When the war ended, Scots were still largely dependent on primary and heavy industries such as coal mining, shipbuilding and steel production. The government recognized that it would make sense to try and encourage new companies to come north of the border to try and create a broader spread of work and investment.

However, this grand scheme never really came to fruition, and a much-needed opportunity was wasted. Scotland's traditional industries were outdated and the problems which would turn the country into an industrial wasteland within a couple of generations were already beginning to build up in the background.

These amazing color pics from Found Slides that captured street scenes of Scotland in 1949.

 
Bo'ness. South Street

 

 
Bo'ness. The Corbiehall

 

 
Edinburgh panorama

 

 
Edinburgh panorama

 

 
Edinburgh. 399-401 Queensferry Road

 

 
Edinburgh. Castle Defenses

 

 
Edinburgh. Cramond Road

 

Edinburgh. Cramond village

 

Edinburgh. High Street

 

Edinburgh. Highland Tolbooth St. John's Church

 

Edinburgh. Holyrood Palace

 

Edinburgh. Hotel Royal British

 

Edinburgh. Jock Howieson Farm House at Cramond

 

Edinburgh. Lord Rosebery Estate

 

Edinburgh. Princes St. Park

 

Edinburgh. Princes Street

 

Edinburgh. Princes Street

 

Edinburgh. Princes Street

 

Edinburgh. Princes Street

 

Edinburgh. Sir Walter Scott Monument

 

Edinburgh. Stuart plaid

 

Edinburgh. The castle

 

Edinburgh. The Scottish National War Memorial, the most modern part of the Castle

 

Edinburgh. Waverley Park

 

Glasgow. Diesel engines at the Royal Scot

 

Glasgow. The Royal Scot

 

Hotel Inversnaid at Loch Lomond

 

SS Prince Edward at Loch Lomond

 

Steamer SS Sir Walter Scott on Loch Katrine

 

 
The Forth Bridge