Eaglesham is an outstanding example of an 18th-century planned village. Its history is reflected in a significant group of buildings, life-size statues and the Heritage Trail. Eaglesham Woods and the recreational opportunities on Eaglesham Moor offer a different focus: woodland paths and activities around Whitelee. Visitors can choose between village history and nature experiences as different interests for their stay.

Planned Village and Local History

In 1967, Eaglesham was declared a conservation area and collectively designated Category A. The group of buildings at 1 and 2 Polnoon Street and 73 and 75 Gilmour Street forms an important and integral part of the 18th-century late Baroque planned town of Eaglesham. This designation makes the history of its planning a central theme of the village.

The Eaglesham Heritage Trail comprises twelve panels and information boards. It explains the origins of the planned village, the heyday of the textile industry, the crash-landing of Rudolph Hess in 1941 and the village’s later restoration in the 1960s and 1970s. The historical arc thus extends from Eaglesham’s beginnings through its industrial heyday to the later restoration work.

Another specific detail is the six life-size statues carved by William Gemmell between 1840 and 1845. They can be seen at the Carswell Centre on Montgomery Street in Eaglesham. The statues provide a tangible counterpart to the panels and buildings in the story of the village.

Eaglesham Woods and Whitelee

Eaglesham Woods lie at the upper end of Eaglesham Orry, between Montgomery Street, Polnoon Street and Mid Road. The paths can be narrow and steep in places, while also leading into wide, open areas. Several bridges in the woods cross the River Cart. Anyone planning to explore the woodland paths should therefore take into account both the changing terrain and the open sections.

Whitelee Windfarm is on Eaglesham Moor and offers opportunities for walking, running, cycling and horse riding. This provides more than one way to experience the landscape actively. Eaglesham Woods are characterised mainly by their paths and bridges; at Whitelee, visitors can choose from several different recreational activities on the moor.

The Whitelee Visitor Centre complements this focus with interactive, hands-on exhibits for children and adults of all ages. It also offers guided bus tours that take visitors close to the wind turbines. The exhibits and bus tours offer different ways to explore Whitelee: one focuses on hands-on displays, while the other takes visitors closer to the turbines by bus.

For a stay focused on village history, the trail, group of buildings and statues offer different ways to explore the past. Those more interested in nature and activity can compare the path conditions in Eaglesham Woods with the activities available on Eaglesham Moor. The Visitor Centre adds exhibitions and guided bus tours to the wind turbines to the range of options.

Discover more destinations: Johnstone, Houston, Bridge Of Weir, Clarkston, Erskine, Howwood, Paisley, Renfrew.

For the regional travel overview: Renfrewshire.