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 Scotland’s traditional industries were outdated and the problems which would turn the country into an industrial wasteland within a couple of generations were already beginning to build up in the background.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.