1895 Shuttle Row, Blantyre

Pictured here, in a previously unseen photo online, is Shuttle Row in 1895. The photo, although somewhat faded in tone, is remarkably sharp in detail. The washing lines out in the front garden, the washhouse to the left, the water pump in the foreground, which served the whole building.

The building is of course due to be massively renovated, not for the first time! The renovations of 1929, which saw this old property, once home to our famous explorer, seem a long time ago, when plans to renovate the building in the coming years seem just as grand. Planning permission has been granted for a large extension on to the back of the building, preserving this traditional view we recognise and yet making the building much larger to accommodate a more modern, interactive museum. It is hoped that when the renovations are complete, this building will once again become a major tourist attraction.