I was looking at this old 1773 map of Blantyre area and happened to glance over the boundary beyond where Calderglen would be, towards Redlees and Newton. I was surprised to see something marked “Fallside Military Encampment” just beyond Spittal.
Although this is marked slightly outwith Blantyre Parish, I wondered if anybody knows anything about it or able to tell me more? An interesting feature if the military had some sort of base there, even if it was only temporary.
Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said,:
George Hay There was an encampment near Bothwell Castle by James Graham the Marquess of Montrose’s troops around the time of the battle of Kilsyth. That would be over a century earlier though……
Gordon Mason Its a typo for Hallside, it’s the site of Drumsagard Castle, often marked as an encampment because all that’s left is the earthworks.
Gordon Mason Aerial pic from 1973
Linda Gourlay Only 30 years after Culloden… Scotland was besieged by redcoats at that time??
Jamie Rogers Is it anything to do with the aa gun site which we made a video of some time ago..any ideas Jake Boyle..you know this area
Jake Boyle Gordon Mason is right . That’s one of the future video’s of thst area we will be covering at a later date
Jamie Rogers Turns out its the site of drumsagard castle
Robert McLeod-Wolohan is that up at dechmont hill paul ? i know there was a military rifle range there, dont know if its still there.
Gordon Mason Down beside Hallside Village in Drumsagard housing estate Robert. The range at Dechmont is still there.
BillandLexy Dorricott it was an akak battery during ww2 when the German bombd clydebank
Robert McLeod-Wolohan thank u gordon, my dad may he R.I.P. used to work in hallside steelworks many years ago.
I would also venture that “Falside” is now “Hallside” the nearby farm?
Yes, thanks Derek. I agree. This looks like a typo on the old map.
Looking at various historic maps it looks as though “Falside Encampment” is at the site of “Drumsargard Castle”. William Forrest’s map of 1816 describes a “camp” at the site, but not sure if he is describing what was there at the time of survey in 1816, or historically. I suspect historically?
Derek