While a wander around Bowling Harbour will deliver the expected interesting, even sunk, vessel, there are numerous details worth watching out for, left over from its past, and too small to photograph, unless your aim is to feature small detail – something I’m managing to resist so far.
I’ll stay with the big stuff for now, such as this carving/sculpture – swans and ducks, or is ducks and swans?
I don’t seem to have any pics of a description or plaque, so I missed it, or there isn’t one.
Fortunately, I was able to cobble together info found online – it seems this is one of several works installed around the harbour area, and is part of a £163,000 project from June 2008. Intended to improve the area, I seem to have been asleep and apparently missed any more of them. I’ve seen pics of an owl and a squirrel, on benches, yet don’t recall seeing anything like that.
To be fair (to me), I was looking at the water and assorted collection of vessels moored there, not at the grassy area – something to do next time I’m there, look at the grass, NOT the water!
Pulling back, this more general view from the harbour shows the view downriver, with the swan /duck sculpture on the left, and part of the old harbour on the right, and Frisky Wharf (I have to get that hame in).
In the centre is one of the river navigation lights, and to the right of that feature, the Henry Obelisk can be seen rising from the riverbank.
Although it’s some way away, and just about the maximum zoom I can manage, I noticed some new detail, so decided to do what I could with the pic
Here we see another navigation light (Dunglass Light) marking the edge of land, with the remains of Dunglass Castle to the right. Little can be seen, although the roofline is visible at the level of the base of the obelisk.
Although called a castle, the original castle c. 1380 is gone, and a modern dwelling stands on the ground, This is really a mansion or villa, and is long derelict, with all the notable parts removed to museum or collections. The account notes that his work at Dunglass was instrumental in being awarded the job of creating Helensburgh’s Hill House for the publisher Blackie.
Although there was no chance of raising any detail, I did try to get closer to the obelisk in this view.
It is misleading, making the top of the castle/house look like an extended base around the obelisk.
In reality, the obelisk sits on its own, with the castle some distance behind, and quite separate – it would be accurate to say the obelisk sits in the ground surrounding the castle.
Further reading and aerial images
While this site can of course be seen on Google satellite view, much higher resolution aerial images exist from recent years, and before.
These images can be found on Canmore:
The castle building is derelict, and has been included in the Buildings at Risk Register:
The final entry at the time of writing is dated 2021, and refers to the anticipated completion of site remediation in November 2023.
As noted in another post, I have visited the works site and viewed the entrance, as of April 2024, and there appears to NO DIFFERENCE, which means no public access.
February 2011: A member of the public advises they had contacted Esso to check availability of the site and been advised Esso have further work to complete on the site before it would be suitable for restoration.
23 April 2013: Limited external inspection as access restricted due to site restrictions. However, from what could be seen, there is no significant change from the previous site visit.
18 October 2013: Historic Scotland advises Listed Building Consent for the repair of the castle walls, the Henry Bell Monument and repairing the house to a watertight condition have recently been granted ref: DC13/005 & DC12/200.
3 September 2021: Close inspection was not possible as the area around the property is now fenced off as Esso has started (May 2021) a remediation project to the land, schedule to complete in November 2023.
I wish I had more ‘clout’ or influence, and could poke and prod for more information, or status on access to the area, but suspect I would be wasting my time if I tried to find out more at this stage.
Secret Scotland 