Craigend Castle

Craigend Castle stands in the hills north of Milngavie, in Stirlingshire, central Scotland. It began as a plain house built by John Smith, a merchant who founded John Smith & Son booksellers in 1751. After his death in 1816, his son James turned it into a grand Regency Gothic mansion. The design came from James Smith of Jordanhill, with Alexander Ramsay overseeing the work. The estate had once belonged to the Barony of Mugdock in medieval times before the Smith family acquired it in the 17th century. The castle’s later owners included Sir Andrew Buchanan, a former Ambassador to the Habsburg court in Vienna, who bought it in 1851. In the early 20th century, James Outram, a chartered accountant and nephew of George Outram, leased the castle. In 1920, Sir Harold E. Yarrow, Chairman of Yarrow Shipbuilders, moved into Craigend Castle. Later, Glasgow businessman Andrew Wilson and his son William opened a zoo in the castle grounds in 1949, but it closed in 1955. Today, the main house is a ruin, while the stable block serves as the visitor centre for Mugdock Country Park. The zoo grounds became part of the country park, and the estate is now a working farm. The ruins sit among the rolling hills, with the stable block standing nearby. Visitors can explore the remains of the grand mansion and the former zoo grounds. The country park offers paths through woodlands and farmland, with views over the surrounding countryside.