Places

IT IS hard to imagine what was arguably Helensburgh’s most important building becoming a delicatessen and restaurant . . . but that is what is going to happen.

Glasgow-based grocery chain Peckham’s have been given the go-ahead by Argyll and Bute Council to convert the B-listed former Municipal Buildings at the corner of East Princes Street and Sinclair Street.

A DESIGNED Landscape by William Boutcher dated to 1732 has recently been recognised on the slope of Tom na h-Airidh to the north of Helensburgh.

The question is — is Boutcher’s designed landscape the genesis of Helensburgh's grid plan layout?

THE NEW Helensburgh Civic Centre incorporates a splendid state of the art Marriage Room which has already hosted its first wedding . . .

But the two-part building itself is also an excellent ‘marriage’ of old and new architecture which is already much admired.

HELENSBURGH and district has a long association with Youth Hostels and those who use them, but it is a much smaller number nowadays.

In its heyday, the Scottish Youth Hostels Association had at least 100 hostels open during the season, but today the association's website lists just 36 hostels available for the 2015 season — the nearest being Glasgow, Rowardennan and Crianlarich.

PEOPLE driving through Cardross give it barely a glance, if they notice it at all.

Villagers walk past it many a time without giving it a thought, except when they want to rest weary legs.

THE handsome mansion Inverclyde at Cove — origi­nally Hartfield House — had a very colourful history.

Built by architect Campbell Douglas in 1859, it was used for a variety of purposes before being demolished.

THE Helensburgh district is a very attractive holiday destination — and has been for many years.

That is the reason the area had so many holiday homes — most involved in the Fresh-Air Fortnight scheme.

TIME is running out for Argyll and Bute Council’s imposing planning offices at Blairvadach, Shandon, overlooking the Gareloch.

Sometime in 2015 its staff will transfer to the bright and spacious new local council HQ being built on East Clyde Street, Helensburgh, overlooking the Clyde, as part of a community complex embracing the old Clyde Street School.

THE small village of Clynder once boasted four houses serving as holiday homes.

One was Hillside Holiday Home, while three others comprised The Grove Holiday Homes.

IN the Helensburgh bicentenary year, 2002, a glass panel was spied at Edinburgh Architectural Salvage Yard by a Community Councillor who, on closer examination, saw that it had belonged to an early Helensburgh Hospital and notified the Trust.

A bargain was struck and the panel was bought by the Trust with the aim of carrying out necessary repairs and framing the panel in a light box.

HELENSBURGH Heritage Trust learned that the cairn which commemorated the Battle of Glen Fruin on February 7 1603 was in a poor state — some of the lettering was either missing or defaced.

They decided to carry out repairs and contacted the Friends of Loch Lomond, Clan Gregor and British Petroleum, all of whom gave generously towards the repairs.