Clan Rising

Pollock Castle

Pollock Castle was a historic tower house and later country seat on an estate west of Newton Mearns, Renfrewshire. The building was substantially rebuilt in 1686–1694 and again in 1886 in Scots Baronial style, then demolished in 1952; fragments of walls, gatehouses, stables and foundations survived and the site was later reworked.

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Its prime

1890

Today

Demolished

As it stood in 1890

What Pollock Castle looked like in its prime.

In its prime (late 19th century after the 1886 rebuilding) Pollock Castle presented a masonry tower-house core with an attached east wing and an extended main block rebuilt in Scots Baronial fashion but incorporating earlier stonework. The house sat within an enclosing courtyard entered through an ornate gateway, with a formal walled garden laid out with corner pavilions, paired estate gatehouses marking the estate entrances, separate stone stables and a gardener's cottage. Substantial stone foundations and a surviving section of the north wall grounded the composition.

Its story

The story of Pollock Castle.

Pook on the Early Maps, 1583-1654

Pollock Castle, also written Pollok, was a tower house standing west of what is now Newton Mearns in East Renfrewshire, on the far side of the M77 motorway from the town. It appears on Timothy Pont's map of 1583-1596 as a castle named Pook, and again on Joan Blaeu's map of 1654.

Sir Robert Pollok's Rebuilding, 1686-1755

The castle was rebuilt between 1686 and 1694 by Sir Robert Pollok, 1st Baronet of Pollok, who gave it a new east wing. Further extensions enclosed a courtyard with an ornate gateway and laid out a formal walled garden with pavilions at its corners. William Roy's map of 1747-1755 shows the castle and the landscape around it in detail.

Fire, Baronial Rebuilding and Requisition, 1882-1944

Fire destroyed the castle in 1882. It was rebuilt in 1886 in the Scots Baronial style, incorporating the surviving elements of the earlier structure. The British Army requisitioned it in 1939, during the Second World War, all but one wing that the Pollok family occupied throughout the war, and the lands were used as an ammunition dump. In 1944 the then owner, Miss Fergusson Pollok, abandoned the castle, and it deteriorated from that point.

Demolition and the Site After It, 1952-2003

The building was demolished in 1952. By 1970 what remained of it amounted to the two gatehouses, the stable, the gardener's cottage, the stone foundations, the south entrance steps and a few stones of the castle's walls.

Some of the ruins were dynamited during the 1970s, and Mr Greer, who had bought the Pollok Castle Estate from a timber merchant, put up a large prefabricated house on the castle foundations. The gatehouses at either end of the estate were rebuilt as well, along with the gardener's house and the castle stables, and sold on as private residences. The prefabricated house was removed and the site cleared in the early 1990s, and in 2003 a house in the Scottish Adam style was built on original foundations and castle walls that still stand, among them a portion of the five-metre-high (16 ft) north wall.

Step inside

12 places to explore in 1890.

The record describes 12 distinct spots at Pollock Castle, including the full exterior approach. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach along the estate drive toward the ornate gatewayOrnate gateway and entrance to the courtyardEnclosed central courtyardTower-house core (main block)East wing façade added 1686–1694Formal walled garden with corner pavilionsFive-metre-high north wall sectionSouth entrance stepsStables and gardener's cottageWest gatehouse on the estate boundaryEast gatehouse on the estate boundaryVisible foundations and lower castle walls

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Whose castle

Clans who held Pollock Castle.

The families that held Pollock Castle for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Pollok

    Seat of the Polloks; rebuilt 1686–94 by Sir Robert Pollok, 1st Baronet, and occupied by the family until 1944.

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Pollock Castle.

Lesser Hampden, ScotlandStadiumLesser Hampden8 km awayHampden Park, ScotlandStadiumHampden Park8 km awayIbrox Stadium, ScotlandStadiumIbrox Stadium8 km away

Questions about Pollock Castle

What is the history of Pollock Castle?

Pollock Castle’s documented history reaches back to the late 16th century, when it appeared as “Pook” on Timothy Pont’s map. Sir Robert Pollok rebuilt the tower house between 1686 and 1694, adding an east wing, courtyard and walled garden. Fire destroyed it in 1882; it was rebuilt in 1886, requisitioned by the British Army in 1939, abandoned in 1944 and demolished in 1952.

Why was Pollock Castle built, and what was it used for?

Pollock Castle was built as a tower house and later served as a country seat on an estate west of Newton Mearns. Its purpose changed over time: it became a rebuilt country residence, was requisitioned by the British Army in 1939, and its lands were used as an ammunition dump during the war.

Where is Pollock Castle?

Pollock Castle was west of modern Newton Mearns in East Renfrewshire. It stood on the opposite side of the M77 motorway from the town, on an estate in Renfrewshire. The site is associated with the administrative area of East Renfrewshire.

What did Pollock Castle look like in its prime?

Pollock Castle’s prime appearance was a masonry tower-house core with an attached east wing and an extended main block in Scots Baronial style. It stood within an enclosing courtyard entered through an ornate gateway. The estate also included a formal walled garden with corner pavilions, paired gatehouses, stone stables and a gardener’s cottage.

Is Pollock Castle still standing or is it a ruin?

Pollock Castle is demolished, but parts of the site survive. The two gatehouses, stable, gardener’s cottage, foundations and some wall stones remained by 1970, while a portion of the five-metre-high north wall still stands. A house built in 2003 occupies the original foundations, incorporating some original foundations and castle walls.

Which family or clan held Pollock Castle?

Pollock Castle was held by the Pollok family. It was the seat of the Polloks, and Sir Robert Pollok, 1st Baronet of Pollok, rebuilt it between 1686 and 1694. The family occupied the castle until 1944, when Miss Fergusson Pollok abandoned it.

When was Pollock Castle built?

The date when Pollock Castle was first built is not recorded. Its documented rebuilding took place in phases: the tower house was rebuilt between 1686 and 1694, and the building was rebuilt again in 1886 after a fire in 1882. The later rebuilding used Scots Baronial style and incorporated surviving earlier fabric.

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