Mugdock

A historical perspective, drawn from the Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Survey of Scottish Topography, Statistical, Biographical and Historical, edited by Francis H. Groome and originally published in parts by Thomas C. Jack, Grange Publishing Works, Edinburgh between 1882 and 1885.

This edition is copyright © The Editors of the Gazetteer for Scotland, 2002-2022.

It has taken much time and money to make the six-volumes of Groome's text freely accessible. Please help us continue and develop by making a donation. If only one out of every ten people who view this page gave £5 or $10, the project would be self-sustaining. Sadly less than one in thirty-thousand contribute, so please give what you can.

Use the tabs on the right of this page to see other parts of this entry

Mugdock, an ancient barony in Strathblane and New Kilpatrick parishes, Stirlingshire. From Maldwin, Earl of Lennox, it was acquired in the first half of the 13th century by David de Graham, ancestor of the noble family of Montrose; and it became, in 1646, the seat of their principal residence - Mugdock Castle, at the SW corner of Mugdock Loch (2 x 1 ½ furl.), 2 ½ miles N by W of Milngavie. A massive quadrangular tower, of unknown antiquity, this was so defended by a deep broad fosse, drawn around it from the lake, as to be inaccessible to any force that could be brought against it in the old times of rude warfare; was one of the scenes of the bacchanalian orgies of the Earl of Middleton and his associates, when employed in subverting the popular liberties under Charles II.; is now, and has long been, a ruin; and, together with its lake, figures finely amid the pleasant surrounding scenery. Mugdock Reservoir (5¹/₃ x 3 furl.), the great store-place of the Glasgow waterworks from Loch Katrine, lies ¾ mile N of Milngavie, at an altitude of 311 feet above sea-level. See Glasgow, p. 165; and Dr William Fraser, The Lennox (2 vols., Edinb. 1874).

An accompanying 19th C. Ordnance Survey map is available, or use the map tab to the right of this page.

Note: This text has been made available using a process of scanning and optical character recognition. Despite manual checking, some typographical errors may remain. Please remember this description dates from the 1880s; names may have changed, administrative divisions will certainly be different and there are known to be occasional errors of fact in the original text, which we have not corrected because we wish to maintain its integrity. This information is provided subject to our standard disclaimer