ONE of the most attractive buildings in the east end of Helensburgh is the Victoria Infirmary, built in 1895.
The work of one of the town’s leading architects, William Leiper, the former cottage hospital looks in fine condition from the outside, but inside only the ground floor is in use as part of today’s Victoria Integrated Health Care Centre.
A MASTERPLAN was proposed in 2012 for future development of the area around Helensburgh pier. It is an area which features heavily in the history of the burgh.
Around the time that Helensburgh came into being, there seem to have been several landing places in the vicinity, if not actually proper piers.
HELENSBURGH is full of attractive mansions designed by leading Scottish architects — but the one which attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world is Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s iconic The Hill House.
Today the large grey building at the top of Upper Colquhoun Street — described as “universally regarded as Mackintosh’s finest domestic creation” — is the property of and run by the National Trust for Scotland and is open to the public daily from April 1 to October 31.
WHISTLEFIELD Station was at one time the hub of what is an historic village, and it even had a royal visit.
Local historian Alistair McIntyre has a particular interest in the village, as in his childhood he lived nearby in Glen Douglas in a similar railway cottage to the one beside the station from 1951-6.
A STREET in south Colgrain, Helensburgh, and a bridge in the village of Cardross have something very important in common.
They are both dedicated to a young servant girl called Jean, and all because in the 17th century she stole a small piece of meat from her master’s home.
HELENSBURGH seafront was at the peak of its popularity in the 1920s and 30s.
The sun brought out the day trippers, and the beach and esplanade were full of people enjoying themselves, as this old London and North Eastern Railway brochure cover clearly shows.
LIKE many other places, Helensburgh and district went through an era when it was surrounded by toll houses, and there was a price to pay for travel.
It was because of complaints about the state of the road between Helensburgh and that a check bar was established at Ardencaple in 1838, and further complaints after storm damage in 1852 led to it being upgraded to a toll bar in a bid to generate income for repairs.
A SHIPOWNER who lived in an upper Helensburgh mansion doubled it in size — and it later became two separate houses.
Glenys Hierzer, who lives in Campbeltown, New South Wales, Australia, great grand-daughter of James Aitken and his wife Emily, who lived at Burton Hill, has been researching her family tree and is looking for more information.
ARDENCONNEL House in Rhu these days consists of high quality flats . . . but in days gone by it was a holiday hotspot.
The B-listed mansion was built by the Buchanan family in the late 18th century, and its uses have included family home, holiday home, and Sergeants Mess.
A POPULAR spot in Helensburgh for walkers is the Duchess Wood Local Nature Reserve.
The Duchess Wood, which used to be known as the Bluebell Wood for obvious reasons, has been loved and used by many generations of local people.
TRAFFIC roars past the Faslane Peace Camp, with few people in the vehicles realising that a gem of a mansion is hidden by the trees. But there is considerable doubt over its future.
A DAMAGED glacial boulder from 10,000 years ago catches the eye of walkers on the popular Upland Walkway footpath near its junction with the Highlandman’s Road on the hillside above Helensburgh and Rhu.
But as more and more walkers use the footpath, concern is growing about the need to preserve the relic of the past.
