Places

A BOOK which gives one man’s fascinating memories of Garelochhead was published late in 2017.

Entitled “Recollections of Garelochhead 100 Years Ago”, it is based on the memoirs of William Hamilton, who was born in the village in 1889, edited by his nephew Graham.

PAINTING of coastal rocks to enhance an existing feature is a particular form of artistic and cultural expression — and one of the great examples is ‘King Tut’ on the shore at Kilcreggan.

Painting rocks happens elsewhere, but there is a remarkable concentration and variety on the Clyde Coast.

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.