Old Lennoxtown, Campsie Glen, Milton of Campsie and Torrance

More about the book

For centuries a rural backwater, the area of the former Parish of Campsie was transformed from the late eighteenth century into a major centre for calico printworks and coal mining. Ironically, this also led to the rise of tourism to the area; Campsie Glen was opened to the public in 1785, and while this was intended for the benefit of local industrial workers, word soon spread about the area's natural beauty, attracting visitors from much further afield. This illustrated history traces the development of the area and the accompanying fifty-four period photographs include many subjects now gone: the various industrial works, including the alum works which were known as the 'secret works' by locals suspicious of the management's reasons for keeping their manufacturing processes under wraps; the grand Ballenleroch House which burned down in 1982; the various guises of Aldess House, which was also known as the Crown Inn and the famous Red Tub Tearooms in its time; and, of course, Lennox Castle in all its former glory.