One of our group was born at Headless Cross in 1929, she  recalls a tale of how the name came into
 being. The area was at one time totally within the Parish of Shotts. The current Headless Cross 
we know today is a crossroads with one farm on the A71 Edinburgh/Ayr road, the crossing road leads
 approx North to Fauldhouse and South to the village of Climpy and further on to the town of Forth.
 Immediately North West is the farm of Knowton which in old parish registers it was known as 
Knowknoble. The area to the West is adjacent to Muldron Moor which was a notorious meeting place 
for the Covenanters. 

Cathie recalls a story of  how a man was captured 
and killed at headless Cross, by who or why we do 
not know (yet), and it is believed his name was 
CROSS.  It is said that someone asked where is 
this place and a remark was made as Headless CROSS. 
Cathie can remember the roughly hewn flat stone 
and an inscription that was very weathered and 
unreadable. As a girl, she remembers visiting 
neighbours at Caussie Hill. Their names were 
Tweedie and McCurdy and they often spoke about 
this man and the story.

We do not know if there is any truth in this story, however we have also consulted with the 
present farmer working at Headless Cross (Hamish Munroe) who remembers the roughly hewn stone 
in a square of Hawthorn trees in the area of where there was a farm known as Mains near the 
Headless Cross mine, about 1 mile from South of the Crossroads. He cannot remember seeing any 
inscription on the Stone but clearly the small area had been arranged with a purpose.   

Open cast mining has been going on in this area for some years and as far as Hamish knows, 
the area of land was cleared for mining and nothing was done to preserve the area or the stone. 

Unless you can tell us to the contrary. If you can add anything to this tale please get 
in touch with us.

01/05/20001