Scottish Tour Guide's Blog

This afternoon, Glasgow was still very wintry with sub-zero temperatures. However, the sun was shining with a blue sky so I went off to photograph Pollock House which dates from the mid 18th century and sits on the bank of the White Cart Water (river). This is the third generation of castle or mansion built on or near this site in the past 1000 years.

Pollock House, a Palladian mansion. was begun by famous Scottish architect, William Adam and finished by his son, John. The patron/owner was John Maxwell.

The woodlands and walled garden date from 1741.

John Stirling Maxwell placed the house and estate ( 458 hectares) under control of the National Trust for Scotland. Since 1998 the house and gardens have been managed by Glasgow City Council and are open to the public.

Here is the front aspect of the house (facing the river) with a snowman.

A weir on the White Cart. At one stage there was a small hydro electric scheme here to provide power for the house.
A dash of bright colour. These primula (polyanthus?) were found outdoors but in a sheltered alcove.

The next two images show the Pollock Beech, a 250 year old veteran growing on the site of the site of the second castle dating from around 1270. The unusual shape may be attributable to pests and diseases over the years.

Practice of tying ribbons to trees dates back thousands of years.

Woodland scene near to the Pollock Beech.

Interesting photo looking through a garden doorway.

A small formal garden in the library parterre.

A video showing the river and weir.

This evening, I am posting a couple of video clips taken at an earthwork structure at Pollock Park.

The site comprises a circular platform some 30m in diameter with a low bank around the edge and a 9M wide ditch surrounding it.

One school of thought is that the structure comprises a Norman ring-work, a circular palisaded enclosure consistent with those erected by the early Scottish-Norman families and dates from the early 12th century. It may have been the work of the Maxwell family.

This morning, temperature was below freezing but visibility good. My timing was good as there occurred snow flurries this afternoon.

I took a trip to Pollock Park which has been voted one of the top public parks in Europe. Firstly, I came across a friendly ( docile) Highland Bull who was feeding contentedly. However, would not like to tangle with him when he is angry!

Near to Pollock House ( a heritage building open to the public) I took a video clip of the the river which runs nearby, this is actually called the White Cart Water. The temperature is evident by blocks of ice around the edges. The weir/waterfall in the video is a remnant of a former mini-hydro electric scheme which was used to provide electricity to the House before the era of mains electricity. Perhaps thought should be given to re-harnessing this energy source.