Eaglesham Church

As I was in Eaglesham today (and it was not raining!) I couldn't resist the opportunity to blip the steeple of Eaglesham Old & Carswell Parish Church, where my father was the minister for 28 years.

There has always been a bit of debate as to where the name Eaglesham comes from with the theory that it was the hamlet where eagles soared generally discounted. A more plausible reason is that Eaglesham takes its name from the French word eglise or gaelic word eaglais, both meaning church. In other words, it is the hamlet of the church or churches. As to why there is an eagle like bird on top of the weather vane, it is likely that villagers adopted the eagle as their emblem around the time when the village was thought to be named after the bird.

A church has stood on the site since the 14th century with the present octagonal shaped church built in 1788 and the steeple added in 1792. I remember my father saying many churches in Scotland were built in an octagonal shape as there would be no dark corners for the devil to hide! When he took charge of the church in 1960 it was to unite the Old Parish and Carswell churches, hence its current name. It is an attractive building and without doubt the main feature of the village.

The church still holds many memories triggering a raft of emotions.