Ralston House, photographed by Thomas Annan in 1870.
In 1755, the estate was acquired by one of the founders of the Ship Bank, William M'Dowall of Castlesemple. McDowall sold most of the estate in 1800 to William Orr (d 1810), who built the mansion. Hillington was added to Ralston by a subsequent owner, who also made major alterations to the house to the designs of the architect Campbell Douglas.
The mansion had become a ruin by the 1930s and was demolished. Some of the original stonework was incorporated in the clubhouse annexe at Ralston Golf Club, and the lodge houses on Glasgow Road survive in 2004.
Reference: Sp Coll Dougan Add. 73
Glasgow University Library, Special Collections
Keywords:
bankers, country houses, golf clubs, mansions, Ralston Golf Club, Ralston House, Ship Bank