Leisure Activities in Argyll & Bute
- Charles Rennie Macintosh
- Flying Machine History in Argyll
- Burrell Collection
- Royal Concert Hall and Glasgow SECC
Local History
Robert The Bruce [1274 - 1329] ... of 'Spider in the cave watching fame' ... died in Cardross.
Please see local history web page for more details.
In the early 1900's, Percy Pilcher started his development of flying machines in a field just 400 yards from Kirkton House, and would have been famous had he not later killed himself – leaving the way open for the Wright Brothers to make their claim to fame some four years after Percy's death!
Kirkton House was originally Kirkton Farm until Mr Weir, the farmer, died in 1978, when the farm was sold for conversion to a private dwelling. The Weir family had owned the farm since 1924 and Kirkton Farm had been famous for its tomatoes and soft fruits [Strawberries and Raspberries] between the two world wars.
The property suffered fairly extensive damage in June 1942 from an air-raid which also destroyed the Cardross parish church. However, the Weirs [including the two sons Alec and Willie], picked up the pieces. Although their tomato greenhouses had been demolished in the air-raid, they continued farming until Mr Weir's death.
Kirkton House was a conversion of the farmhouse, cow shed/milking parlour [byre] and stable block, all built with thick stone walls and dating back to the late eighteenth century, and probably much earlier.
Stewart and Gillian Macdonald purchased Kirkton House as a private dwelling in 1984 and soon started offering B&B accommodation. When Stewart left his day job in 1988, they went about making further improvements and converting the premises to a small hotel.
Gillian provided evening meals, first for residents only, and then also for non residents. The provision of evening meals continued up until the end of 2004, when Gillian decided to hang up her apron! Since then, Stewart and Gillian have run Kirkton House on a B&B basis, with guests able to enjoy good local fare at the nearby pubs in the village and also just a little further away around Loch Lomond.
Refurbishments continue apace, to the extent that Kirkton House has now been awarded the top grade AA 'Five Star' rating.
The local area has myriad scenic, historical and architectural points of interest, providing a variety of touring possibilities and places to visit whilst staying at Kirkton House.
The village of Cardross is located midway between the old ship-building town of Dumbarton and the old ship owners/agents residential town of Helensburgh. The latter was once the richest town in the British Empire, providing the ship owners with homes enjoying spectacular vistas of the Clyde where they would watch their ships come and go!
St Mahew's Chapel, Cardross
St Mahew's Chapel [also known as Kirkton Chapel] is at the end of the drive, and has been a place of worship since the 11th century.
Restored in the fiftees, the small quaint chapel serves a growing Roman Catholic congregation, with mass at 5pm on Saturdays and a service on Sunday mornings. It is also a popular venue for country style church weddings.
Geilston Gardens [National Trust] is just 1 mile away and Rennie Macintosh's Hill House is 4 miles away above Helensburgh - a must for design buffs!
Read More About Rennie Macintosh
There are pleasant walks in the immediate countryside - one which commands a spectacular view of Loch Lomond.
Loch Lomond International Golf Course is just 15-20 minutes drive away - unfortunately, access is restricted to Members only, and to spectator ticket holders for Professional events and tournaments. However, the local golf courses are excellent - usually open to visitors on Monday to Friday.
Glasgow has many cultural attractions and places of interest to visit [take the train and save the strain!] - the Burrell Collection/Pollok House is probably the best museum in the UK, situated in beautiful parkland just south of Glasgow. There are art galleries, the transport museum, cathedral, Rennie Macintosh Art School, tea rooms, shopping malls and the 'Barrows' flea market, to name just a few.
A favorite day trip for guests is to take the Highland train from Helensburgh Upper station [4 miles away] and enjoy the highland scenery without the hassle of driving all the way to Oban or Fort William and Mallaig. The train passes through some spectacular scenery.
A popular day trip is to drive round to the Isle of Bute - taking the short northern ferry crossing onto the island returning via Wemyss Bay ferry to the south side of the Clyde.
Another pleasant day trip by car [3 hours driving] is up the west side of Loch Lomond via Luss to Crianlarich, across to the falls of Dochart at Killin returning via Callander [Rob Roy Centre], Loch Katrine [steamer boat rides], Queen Elizabeth Forest [walks] and Aberfoyle.