Coal, iron, steel and textiles were all vital for war. Without a constant supply of coal, Britain’s rail network and the Royal Navy would not be able to function.
Without iron and steel the munitions and engineering industries could not produce the bullets, explosive shells, artillery, barbed wire, tanks and ships needed to fight the war.
The naval race before the outbreak of war had already saved the shipyards. When war did break out the main shipyards on the Clyde were taken over by the Royal Navy to produce more warships.
However there was a great decline in Scotland’s industries after World War One as the demand for these materials lessened.
