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Running south-west from Anniesland Cross to connect with Dumbarton Road, Anniesland Road has always been an area popular
with commuters, particularly following the opening of Scotstounhill station on the Glasgow, Yoker & Clydebank Railway
(later acquired by the North British Railway Co.) in 1887.
Scotstounhill was built as a commuter station to serve the increasing population of the area. Traffic on the line received
a further boost between the wars when the Glasgow Corporation acquired land nearby to build municipal housing.
A postcard view looking east towards Jordanhill, circa 1910, of the North British Railway line at Scotstounhill station.
In the foreground stands station master, William Gray.
This postcard, along with other local views, was published by the shopkeeper who owned the shop attached to the station,
a practice which was followed by many stationers at the time.
This contemporary photograph shows the modern convenience shop on the site of the original, wooden shop.
This photograph (postmarked 1910) shows Miss Bisset, the junior shopkeeper at the time, outside her place of business.
Note the advertisement boards for The Scottish Herald and the Evening Times newspapers.
The site continues to be used as a convenience store, as this contemporary photo – taken from the same angle – shows.
During further research I, by chance, happened upon the case of London and North-Eastern Railway Company v Assessor
for Glasgow 1936 S.L.T. 111. This somewhat obscure legal action relates to the position of stationmaster at
Scotstounhill Station and we see that a Mr James M. Stevenson was appointed to this post on 25 April 1935. The synopsis for
this case reads as follows:
The subjects to which this appeal related consist of a dwelling-house belonging to the appellants adjoining Scotstounhill
Railway Station. By an agreement dated 25th April 1935, James M. Stevenson, on his appointment as stationmaster at
Scotstounhill Railway Station, was required to occupy and reside in said house in connection with and for the purposes
of his employment as stationmaster. The subjects, prior to their occupancy by Mr Stevenson, had been let by the appellants
to a cashier in their employment at a rent of £34, 10s. per annum.
Mr Stevenson, the tenant of the house in question, was required by the appellants to live in the said house. He has a
salary of £170 per annum. In terms of the Agreement, the amount which he pays annually to the railway company in respect
of his occupation is £25, 10s. Of that amount, according to the appellants, £21 represents actual rent and £4, 10s.
occupier's rates.
The layout of the Station has remained relatively intact, however the ornamental Victorian station building on the westbound
platform, shown here in 1969 shortly after a fresh coat of paint was added, was demolished in the early 1970s after
an arson attack – only to be replaced by a feeble metal shelter.
The site of the former station building is now occupied by a large advertising billboard. The wrought
iron stairway bridge connecting the platforms was replaced at the same time.
Originally, the Station platforms could be accessed from another entrance located on the hump-backed bridge spanning
Queen Victoria Drive. A wooden plaque advertising the station, engulfed in foliage, still stands at this point, although the passage of time
has removed the lettering.
Where this stairway would have once met the platform, there is footprint evidence of another
station outbuilding at the eastern tip of the eastbound platform. This would have been a bothy, perhaps housing a power supply.
This building can be glimpsed inthe background of the above station photographs.
Scotstounhill Station was regarded as one of Glasgow’s finest stations up until the early 1990s, when its beautifully
manicured garden areas were inexplicably left to overgrow. Although nowhere near as aesthetically pleasing as it once
was, the Station remains as busy as ever with city centre commuters.
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