South Hourat

Haggs Castle

Shawmoss · 19 miles

A 16th-century tower house stands in the Pollokshields neighbourhood of Glasgow, recorded in mapping data as being close to the town of Shawmoss. Built in 1585 by Sir John Maxwell of Pollok and his wife Margaret Cunningham, the structure replaced the family’s earlier 14th-century Laigh Castle. Although originally intended as the Maxwells’ principal residence, it later functioned as a jointure house for widows and was abandoned in 1753 when Pollok House was completed. The basement subsequently served as a smithy, and the building was requisitioned by the military in 1943 before being divided into flats. From 1972 the Glasgow Corporation operated it as the Museum of Childhood until the museum closed in 1998, after which the castle returned to private occupation. The altered L-plan tower rises four storeys, the main block measuring roughly 17 m by 7.2 m. Ground-floor rooms include two chambers and a kitchen with a large fireplace, while the first floor contains a private room behind the main hall. Upper levels are accessed via a main stair and smaller corbelled stairs, leading to a square cap house and a stair tower fitted with square and round gun loops. Notable decorative elements comprise cable-moulded string courses, moulded corbels and a carved panel above the door. Nineteenth-century work introduced larger dormer windows, a new south entrance and stair, and a north wing. As a private dwelling, the castle does not offer public admission, visitor facilities or on-site parking. Access is therefore limited to residents and authorised personnel.

Glasgow Museums Resource Centre

Nitshill · 16 miles

Ardeer Beach

Stevenston · 6.2 miles

By local custom, the naturist section of the beach starts to the right of the Robert Burns mural (facing the painting) and extends in a southeasterly direction to the River Irvine.

Buiston Crannog

Stewarton · 8.1 miles

Excavated in 1881, several images available on WikiCommons.

Weaver's Cottage

Kilbarchan · 11 miles

Atmospheric cottage and hands-on museum where the traditional weaver's craft comes to life.

Skelmorlie Secret Bunker Museum

Meigle · 11 miles

This is the only restored Royal Observer Corps underground monitoring post in the West of Scotland, operational during the Cold war until stand-down in September 1991. Open most Sundays from April to September.