Sir Andrew Buchanan: Ambassador & Diplomat

Sir Andrew Buchanan purchased Craigend Castle in 1851 and his family continued to live there for more than fifty years. A member of the Diplomatic Corps, Sir Andrew had been Ambassador to the Habsburg Court in Vienna. His family could trace its history back to the year 1225, at which time the Earl of Lennox had gifted the Buchanans the lands around the village of Drymen.

James Graham: The Great Marquis

The most famous Graham associated with Mugdock was James Graham (1612-1650), who inherited the Earldom in 1626. He was the first signatory of the Scottish Covenant of 1638 but, although opposed to the introduction of Anglicanism in Scotland, believed in the divine right of kings and therefore supported the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. He was created Captain General of Scotland in 1643 by Charles I and was given the title Marquis of Montrose the following year. He won many victories against the King’s adversaries including the Battle of Inverlochy in 1645 but was defeated at the Battle of Philiphaugh the following year and spent the next three years in exile. Charles I was executed in 1649 and the rule of Cromwell’s Commonwealth began.

Archibald McLellan: Glasgow Bailie & Fine Art Collector

Archibald McLellan became a Glasgow magistrate in 1820 at the age of twenty five and served as a City Councillor for more than thirty years. He did a great deal of good work for the people of Glasgow spending large sums of money on the restoration of the City’s cathedral and advocating a scheme to use Loch Katrine as a source of fresh drinking water for its citizens since the existing water supply was often the cause of typhoid and cholera epidemics. McLellan was an avid collector of art by the great masters and opened a gallery in Sauchiehall Street to display them. Around 1835, he leased Mugdock Castle and lived there for the rest of his life. When he died in 1854 at the age of 59, it was found that he had

James Outram: Newspaper Magnate

George Outram was a lawyer and member of the Scottish Bar who gave up the legal profession in favour of a career in journalism. In 1837, he became editor of the well-known newspaper “The Glasgow Herald” and held the post until his death in 1856. His son, James, continued in the family profession and ultimately became owner of the paper. He leased Craigend from the Buchanan family in the early years of the 20th Century.

John Smith: Bookseller

John Smith (1675-1752) was wounded at the Battle of Laffeld in 1747 while fighting the French. He returned home to Scotland and opened a bookshop in Glasgow as well as a circulating library. The famous bookshop which bore his name was a familiar sight in the City until its closure in the 1990s.

John Guthrie Smith: Antiquarian

John Guthrie Smith (1834-1894) was a well-known local historian and antiquarian whose family had once lived at Craigend. Guthrie Smith leased Mugdock Castle in 1874 and lived there for eighteen years. He is best remembered today for an essay he wrote in January 1878 entitled “Milngavie and District: Sketches Historical and Topographical” which was originally prepared as a lecture to be given at the Milngavie Mechanics Institute. The work is full of information about local people, events and places in bygone days.

Sir Harold Yarrow: Shipbuilder & Philanthropist

Harold Yarrow (1885-1962) was the son of Alfred Yarrow, founder of the famous shipyard Yarrow and Company. When World War I began, Harold took over the running of the business although his father stayed on as Managing Director. The yard built destroyers and torpedo boats for the Royal Navy but Harold Yarrow wanted to do more. With his father’s help, he developed a flesh-coloured mask which could be worn by soldiers whose faces had been badly disfigured in action. He then devised and produced a new life jacket made from kapok which could be worn like a waistcoat. Known as ‘Miranda Jackets’, thousands were distributed to officers and men serving aboard Yarrow-built vessels. A factory was also erected for the manufacture of prosthetic limbs. Throughout his life, Harold Yarrow endeavoured to help those less fortunate than himself. He helped set up the Princess Louise Scottish Hospital for Limbless Sailors and Soldiers at Erskine, was Chairman of the Royal Maternity Hospital and President of the Scottish Convalescent Home for Sick Children. Harold Yarrow was knighted for his shipbuilding and charity work.

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