Old Photographs Bearsden East Dunbartonshire Scotland

Tour Scotland wee video of old photographs of Bearsden, a town in East Dunbartonshire, on the northwestern fringe of Greater Glasgow. The Roman Antonine Wall runs through the town and the remains of a military Bath House can be seen near the town centre. Bearsden's Roman Baths can be found a couple of hundred yards east, or downhill, along Roman Road from Bearsden Cross, the centre of the town. The naming of the town is unusual, in that the current title of the town, which was originally New Kilpatrick, was taken from the station name, rather than the town giving its name to the station. These days trains to Glasgow operate on a regular schedule, with a departure once every 15 minutes from Monday to Saturday during the daytime. Two trains per hour go via Glasgow Central on the Argyle Line, and on to Motherwell, while the other two travel via Queen Street to Edinburgh Waverley on the North Clyde Line. Close landmarks included Canniesburn Toll. Buchanan Retreat house in Bearsden, now known as Boclair House was originally built as the Buchanan Retreat in 1890 by legacies from three Buchanan sisters of Bellfield, Ayrshire, to provide a home for elderly members of the Buchanan Clan. In due course the restriction to those called Buchanan had to be removed due to the lack of applications from people of that surname and, following an interest taken in the Institution by the Corporation of Glasgow, who were represented among the original trustees, it became a Home for elderly men. In 1960 the property was acquired by Bearsden Town Council and became the new Municipal Buildings. By 1975 the building housed the Administration and Finance Departments of the new Bearsden and Milngavie District Council. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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