High in the Bathgate Hills, right below the Hill of cairnpapple lies the old Hilderston Silver Mine that Once belonged to James the Sixth of Scotland and produced the silver that is in the Scottish Crown. But quickly became the Royal Embarrassment.

The Hilderston Silver Mine

The mine was established here in 1607 when a farmer named Sandy Maud struck Silver whilst digging the land. The land owner, Sir Thomas Hamilton soon had the mine established and tapped into a vein of what would seem an endless amount of Silver. Hamilton, who was consort to King James the 6th of Scotland, who had just also become James the First of England in 1603. Of course, this new England & Wales James had just Inherited was costing him a penny or Two and he needed a solid asset he could use to buy favour with his creditors.

So when Hamilton brought news of the Silver mine, James was over the moon. He soon purchased the mine, which had been aptly named ‘God’s Fortune’ for £600 in 1608. This new treasure trove became a worthy asset that put him in higher standing with his creditors and nobility. He mow had a seemingly endless supply of silver at his disposal. This could only bring favour presumed the King.

Not Shining Bright

However, the running costs of the mine were high and it soon became clear that he would need to extract a steady stream of high quality silver to break even. The Initial haul from the mine after James bought it was good and some of that silver would be wrought into the Scottish Crown jewels, including the Crown itself. But that was about as good as it got.

See, Hamilton wasn’t daft and wasn’t just about to give away a silver mine on his land without having a rummage first. So by the time he sold the mine to the King, he’d already extracted most of the Silver. The monthly running costs of the Silver mine at Hilderston were around £1500. The equivalent of around £15k in todays money. James was going to have to mine a steady flow of high quality silver just to break even. Needless to say, ‘God’s Fortune’ soon became more of a a financial drain than an asset.

The Laughing Stock of London

It didnt take long for the Kings new venture to become a drain on his coffers and didnt take long for the word to reach London. The News of the Kings failed Enterprise circulated fast. It quickly became known as the ‘Royal Swindle’ and a Comedy Play of named simply, ‘The King’s Silver Mine’ was written and performed about the Kings failed venture, much to James wrath. The monarch was not amused in the slightest.

So much so that James had the Playwright thrown driven into exile whilst It’s actors were jailed. He also issued a ban on All plays that spoke about the King or about current affairs. This was a King who didnt care much for anyone who disliked him or spoke out against him. The same King, who only 4 years previous, in 1605, had a public holiday made of the execution of Guy Fawkes. Fawkes was a member of the Anti-Scottish movement in England at this time and who opposed James’s rule.

Later Mining at Hilderston

Since then, the Hilderston mine has also been mined for Lead, Iron ore and Lime. But each of these ventures brought little fruition due to the complex geology of the Bathgate Hills. With their solid rock Infrastructure, minerals of any value could be found. But only in small pockets. Not enough for any successful commercial enterprise.

So If you’re thinking of going for as hopeful dig, then I wouldn’t build my hopes up. There’s been many a hungry mouth in the county over the past few centuries who have doubtlessly had the same Idea. I dont think they found much either. But Its worth a look all the same. If nothing else, It’ll do you good to get out for the walk, and If you havent seen them before, the mines are well worth a look.