The history of the present Village can be traced back to 1729 when it consisted of only four houses which straddled the old bridle road from Glasgow to Edinburgh. These houses were named Muirhall, Girdhimstrait, Merchanthall and Craighead. The owner of Craighead and local landowner was a Mr. Young who had a wife called Sally and when subsequent houses were constructed on his land later that Century it was decided to call the Village Sallysburgh as a mark of respect. These houses were erected near Muirhall Farm and were to accommodate craft workers such as stonemasons, weavers etc. Between 1800 and 1900 the population of the Village was considerably increased due to the construction of additional housing by the Coltness Iron Company and the Shotts Iron Company to provide rented accommodation for workers in their local Collieries and Iron Stone Pits.

Early in the twentieth century Village numbers were again boosted by the construction of the first council housing at the west end of Main Street. Council house building continued periodically up until 1977 when the Sheltered Housing Complex of Lorne Gardens was completed. The local population rose again with the completion in 2006 of the first private housing estate in the village built on the site of the former Craighead Farm.