Scotstoun
Encyclopedia
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, west of Glasgow City Centre
Glasgow city centre
Glasgow city centre is the central business district of Glasgow, Scotland. Is bounded by the High Street to the east, the River Clyde to the south and the M8 motorway to the west and north which was built through the Townhead, Charing Cross, Cowcaddens and Anderston areas in the 1960s...
. It is bounded by Yoker
Yoker
Yoker is a western district of Glasgow, in Scotland, UK, lying on the northern bank of the Clyde to the east of Clydebank. It is located approximately 5 miles west of the City Centre. From the fourteenth century a ferry has linked Yoker with the burgh of Renfrew on the south bank...
and Knightswood
Knightswood
Knightswood is a suburban district in Glasgow, containing 4 areas: Knightswood North or High Knightswood, Knightswood South or Low Knightswood, Knightswood Park and Blairdardie. It has a golf course and park, and good transport links with the rest of the city. Garscadden and Scotstounhill railway...
to the west, Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Glasgow
-Description:Victoria Park is set in western Glasgow, adjacent to the districts of Scotstoun, Whiteinch, Jordanhill and Broomhill. The park was created and named for Queen Victoria's jubilee in 1886. The main entrances to the park are from Westland Drive, Victoria Park Drive North, and Balshagray...
, Broomhill
Broomhill, Glasgow
Broomhill is a district of the Scottish city of Glasgow, in the West End. It is situated north of the River Clyde and is bounded by Thornwood and Partick to the south, Hyndland to the east, and Jordanhill, Scotstoun and Victoria Park to the west....
and Whiteinch
Whiteinch
Whiteinch is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde between the Partick and Scotstoun areas of the city...
to the east, Jordanhill
Jordanhill
Jordanhill is an affluent area of the West End of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. The area consists largely of terraced housing dating from the early to mid 20th century, with some detached and semi-detached homes and some modern apartments....
to the north and the River Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
(and Braehead
Braehead
Braehead is a commercial development located at the former site of Braehead Power Station in Renfrew on the south bank of the River Clyde in Renfrewshire. It is particularly notable for its large shopping centre, arena and leisure facilities....
beyond) to the south. At the heart of Scotstoun lies Scotstounhill
Scotstounhill
Scotstounhill is a small area between south Knightswood and Scotstoun situated in West Glasgow. Housing is mainly in a cottage flat style, although several high rise flats can be found in the area...
, an enclave of late Victorian and post-war housing centred upon Scotstounhill railway station
Scotstounhill railway station
Scotstounhill railway station is a railway station in Scotstounhill in Glasgow, Scotland. It lies on the Argyle and North Clyde lines, serving the districts of Scotstoun and Knightswood, with trains to and from or Queen Street stations and on into the east end.- Sources :* *...
. Scotstoun (along with the Govan
Kvaerner Govan
Kvaerner Govan Ltd, located at Govan in Glasgow on the River Clyde, was a shipyard subsidiary formed in 1988 when the Norwegian group Kvaerner Industrier purchased the Govan Shipbuilders division of the nationalised British Shipbuilders corporation...
shipyard) is home to BAE Systems Surface Ships (formerly Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yarrow Limited , often styled as simply Yarrows, was a major shipbuilding firm based in the Scotstoun district of Glasgow on the River Clyde...
), a naval shipbuilding defence contractor owned by BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
.
History
Scotstoun was until the early 1860s the site of the Oswald family estate, which was centred around Scotstoun House. By 1861 the westward expansion of the Clyde shipbuildingShipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
yards had reached Scotstoun with the opening of the Charles Connell and Company
Charles Connell and Company
Charles Connell and Company was a British shipbuilding company based in Scotstoun in Glasgow on the River Clyde.-History:The Company was founded by Charles Connell who had served an apprenticeship with Robert Steele and Co before becoming manager of Alexander Stephen and Sons Kelvinhaugh yard...
shipyard in 1861 and the new Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yarrow Shipbuilders
Yarrow Limited , often styled as simply Yarrows, was a major shipbuilding firm based in the Scotstoun district of Glasgow on the River Clyde...
yard in 1906. This led to the break-up of the estate, as portions were sold off for housing, to create Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Glasgow
-Description:Victoria Park is set in western Glasgow, adjacent to the districts of Scotstoun, Whiteinch, Jordanhill and Broomhill. The park was created and named for Queen Victoria's jubilee in 1886. The main entrances to the park are from Westland Drive, Victoria Park Drive North, and Balshagray...
and for further industrial development (iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and shipbuilding) along the river, with companies such as the Coventry Ordnance Works
Coventry Ordnance Works
Coventry Ordnance Works was a British manufacturer of heavy guns, particularly naval artillery. The firm was based in the English city of Coventry.-History:...
and Albion Motors
Albion Motors
Albion Automotive of Scotstoun, Glasgow is a former Scottish automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer, currently involved in the manufacture and supply of Automotive component systems....
locating in the area.
The southern part of Scotstoun is characterised by late 19th/ early 20th century tenement
Tenement
A tenement is, in most English-speaking areas, a substandard multi-family dwelling, usually old, occupied by the poor.-History:Originally the term tenement referred to tenancy and therefore to any rented accommodation...
s, while at its heart, and dating from a similar period, is a grid-like estate of mainly terraced cottage style villas with distinctive English styling in wide tree-lined streets, an early example of Ebenezer Howard
Ebenezer Howard
Sir Ebenezer Howard is known for his publication Garden Cities of To-morrow , the description of a utopian city in which people live harmoniously together with nature. The publication resulted in the founding of the garden city movement, that realized several Garden Cities in Great Britain at the...
-type garden suburb town planning.
Current Amenities
Today this is a much sought after conservation area, part of which lies in the fiercely sought after Jordanhill SchoolJordanhill School
Jordanhill School educates children from age 5-18. It is located on Chamberlain Road in Glasgow, Scotland.Uniquely among mainstream Scottish schools, it is funded directly by the Scottish Executive, rather than through the local authority, in this case Glasgow City Council...
catchment, and is popular with families seeking fine period houses with gardens close to the heart of the West End. The local primary school and church lie in the centre. Unfortunately, the area has suffered the loss of many of its mature trees in recent years and the Council-promised tree-planting scheduled for spring 2009 failed to materialise.
Scotstoun is today home to Scotstoun Primary School
Scotstoun Primary School
Scotstoun Primary School is a primary school built by in 1905 on Earlbank Avenue. The building differs from those built by the in many respects, notably in the inclusion of its distinctive towers...
, and formerly a fine red sandstone secondary school, Victoria Drive, which was closed and demolished in 1998. Scotstoun's finest B listed building, the former Scotstoun West church, was mysteriously destroyed by fire then replaced with a Cala development of flats with little architectural merit in the 1990s.
Scotstoun has recently undergone new housing development and is also the site of the new Scotstoun Leisure Centre, opened in 1994, hosting Scotstoun Stadium
Scotstoun Stadium
Scotstoun Stadium is an athletics and Rugby union venue located in the West End of Glasgow. It first opened it doors to the public in 1915 and in 2008 underwent a huge renovation before reopening on 14 January 2010 by the Princess Royal. Glasgow Warriors have trained at the stadium since 2009 and...
, an international athletics venue, the Scottish National Badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
Academy, and a 25 metre swimming pool used by the City of Glasgow Swim Team.
A brand new community centre was opened on Balmoral Steet on June 18th 2011. It is called "The Heart of Scotstoun Community Centre".
Scotstoun is a designated conservation area and has an active residents association called Scotstoun Conservation Area Residents Association which works closely with the local school, church and community. Other local groups are often involved in contributing to the community, for example on May 7 the Scotstoun Woodies cleaned up litter on the Nature Walk as part of the council's clean up drive.