Pollok House

Part 1.

A fine forecast means a day out. Mr Flum suggested Pollok House and Country Park in particular as we, being National Trust members, could park for nothing - what's not to like!

He had overlooked the fact that, during the current restoration within the house, this does not apply. While he perused to map for an alternative venue that was not the Burrell, (which we had visited before), I walked along to take a couple of photos and to determine whether the café was also closed - it was. So we found an unassuming wee café a short drive away and made our plan.

To be continued...it's getting late.

Part 2.

I trust you enjoyed the interval and are sufficiently replete to continue.

While enjoying our simple repast in the small café we perused  maps on our phones, including the Kirkintilloch Challenge, (which, for our location, is the equivalent to looking for a needle in a needlecase).  The search revealed a few features that looked interesting enough to pursue and we set off to investigate a drinking fountain and bandstand in Overtoun Park These were erected for Queen Victoria's Jubilee, though not applicable to the aforementioned Lion Foundry Challenge as they are from the Saracen Foundry. Although of intricate design and, in the past had received a fair coating of paint in different colours, neither appears appreciated, which is a pity, I think. See extra 1.

From there we found our way to a feature labelled 'Mausoleum, which turned out to be a grand affair, built as a chapel and burial place for the 10th Duke of Hamilton, in a delightful setting with an avenue of flowering cherry to the entrance; the crypt to the rear guarded by two magnificent lions, one asleep and one awake. See extra 2.

Mr Flum's choice, by contrast, took us right up to the Greenhills Water Tower in East Kilbride, one of several serving the city of Glasgow, made of concrete thus of double interest. The views (and the cold wind coming from those snow-clad peaks) were spectacular but this was no place to tarry.

Our final destination was Chatelherault, a name familiar but never visited, we might well return with more time to this extensive country park. Firstly coffee and a bun in the very pleasant restaurant followed by a brief look at the information boards indoors then out for a walk round, admiring the view from the rear of the house and, to shelter from that cold wind, crossed the Dukes Bridge, over a steep-sided ravine and the Avon Water, to the Cadzow Castle (under scaffolding) and the obligatory visit to the nearby ancient Cadzow Oaks, one of which is totally hollow and the branches supported by several poles - excusable in a tree of around 800 years old.  As we were in deep countryside we were regaled with birdsong, in particular coal, great and blue tits, chiff-chaff, blackcap, wren and blackbird - notable absentees were nuthatch and woodpecker, they must have been hiding, or perhaps the preponderance of dogs is disagreeable to them. See Extra 3.

By then it was closing time so we pottered home by A-road, still under a blue sky and clouds piling up in the distance but with plans to further extend our knowledge of the west.