Mansion houses in Clarkston, Stamperland & Netherlee

Greenbank House, Clarkston

The Greenbank Estate in Clarkston was established in the 1760’s by “local boy made good” Robert Allason, a merchant whose family had been farmers in Mearns for generations. Robert, initially a Glasgow baker, moved to Port Glasgow and made his fortune in overseas trade. He acquired portions of land, which he combined to create his country estate where, by 1765, he had built the very elegant, 16-room Greenbank House.

Due to trading losses Robert Allason had lost the estate by 1784. After a succession of different owners it came into the hands of the Hamilton family of East Kilbride in 1797, the last of whom was James Barclay Murdoch Young, sheriff of Paisley, who died in 1957.

The last owner of Greenbank was William P. Blyth, a very keen gardener who gifted the estate to the National Trust for Scotland in 1976. Today it is a Headquarters for the National Trust and its walled garden attracts many visitors throughout the year.

Williamwood House

In 1725, when John Maxwell of Williamwood and John Maxwell of Blawarthill (Later Lord of Nether Pollok) became joint owners of Cathcart, the family abandoned the mansion house at Williamwood and moved to Cathcart Castle. A new mansion house was built in 1750 near old Williamwood House.

In 1926, trustees of Mrs Elizabeth Stewart of Williamwood House wished to sell the property, but the Williamwood Golf Club was not in a position to buy. As a result the mansion house was demolished in the late 1920’s. The present Williamwood House, built in 1930 and designed by Glasgow architect Charles McNair, overlooks the orchard of the old house. It was built for George Urie Scott, a wealthy cinema proprietor. After the death of Elizabeth Scott, Williamwood House was bequeathed to the Church of Scotland who now run it as a care home.