Glasgow’s Lost Industries

Discover a collection of articles, posts and information all centred around the lost industries that were once thriving in Glasgow

Glasgow’s horse-tram depots 1872-1894

The history of horse-drawn trams in Glasgow has been covered in several excellent resources (see the book “The Glasgow Horse Tramways by Struan Robertson or this link, for example) but...
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Maryhill’s horse tram depot

In his book “Industrial Archaeology of Glasgow”, John Hume provided a gazetteer of industrial sites in the Glasgow area, including those at Dawsholm and Temple I have described previously (see...
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Robert Barclay Curle’s engine works: the Radisson Red Hotel site

In his book on the industrial archaeology of Glasgow, Professor John Hume recorded an office block fronting onto Finnieston Quay, next to the north rotunda, shown here in his 1968...
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West of the SECC: Yorkhill Quay and the Accumulator House

Most people enter the SECC by the main east entrance (beside the crane and the rotunda).  A short walk across the car park from the west door is this building:...
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Glasgow Harbour Tunnel Company 1889-1927

1889 To begin work, an Act of Parliament was necessary (the Westminster Parliament, no devolution in those days).  The legislation was opposed by the Clyde Navigation Trust, the partnership of...
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The North Rotunda

The round building on Finnieston Quay is just over 130 years old but its appearance gives no clue as to its purpose, which was the entrance to a lift-shaft (and...
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The Finnieston Crane (or is it Stobcross?)

As you travel from Glasgow City Centre by car or by foot, you know you are near the conference centre when you see this sight (from outside the Hilton Garden...
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The history of the SEC site: Queen’s Dock

This is a bird’s eye view of the Scottish Event Campus area in 2025: The city centre of Glasgow is out of shot to the right. You can see “Scottish...
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Industrial sites in the Butney

This post covers industrial sites in the area bounded by the Kelvin in the west, Maryhill Road in the east, the railway line in the north and the canal in...
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Kelvin bridges in the Dawsholm area

Between the site of the paper mill in the north and the aqueduct carrying the canal in the south there are (or were) seven bridges of which six are shown...
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