Abandoned Scotland: Hospital Hartwood

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Original post: Abandoned Hospital Hartwood - Sepetember 2011

After going to another location which wasn’t as successful we decided to visit the abandoned hospital in Hartwood. The remains of Hartwood Hospital, an 19th century psychiatric hospital with imposing twin clock towers, are the main feature of the village, even after its closure under the direction of the Lanarkshire Health Board in 1998. Like many other Victorian institutions in the area such as Gartloch Hospital, Stonyetts, Lennox Castle and Kirklands, the inception of the Community Care Act (1990) gave rise to a more community-based focus for long-term mental health care, and the consequent closure of long-term psychiatric hospitals.

The original hospital was overseen by Dr Archibald Campbell Clark, the medical superintendent, and was involved with the inception of modern psychiatric therapies such as occupational therapy, ECT and industrial involvement. In the hospital style of the time, Hartwood was entirely self-sustaining, with its own farm, gardens, reservoir, graveyard, staff houses, etc.

Walking around the grounds was very eerie and the weather was almost perfect for visiting an abandoned place. It was also the first time I had been out with my new camera, the Canon 600d which is a really great camera and I think have added to the overall quality of the videos.

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Original post: Abandoned Hospital Hartwood - Sepetember 2011
Photos on flickr: Hartwood Hospital

Abandoned Scotland: Cumberland Street Train Station

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Original post: Abandoned Railway Station Cumberland Street Video - May 2011

Over the years and to this day we frequently pass by Cumberland Street Station, only once have we ever seen the boarding peeled back with an entry point and we made sure to capitalise on it. After going to numerous different failed locations it was a stroke of luck to see the entrance to this station. 

It was developed by the Glasgow and South Western Railway in 1900, as a replacement for Main Street station, Gorbals, following the doubling of the track from Port Eglinton to St Enoch station. It was in operation until 1966, when passenger services to St Enoch station ended. It has been proposed to reopen the station as part of the Glasgow Crossrail project. 

The video from our trip inside can be seen here:

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Original post: Abandoned Railway Station Cumberland Street Video - May 2011

Photos on flickr: Cumberland St. Train Station

Abandoned Scotland: Torpedo Testing Station

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Original post: Torpedo Testing Station - Arrochar - May 2011.

For an explore in May you’d expect, even in Scotland, that the weather would be fairly pleasant, but as always the weather loves to make our explores that slightly more interesting. The Torpedo Testing Station sits on the northern banks of Loch Long near to Arrochar and has long been left to rot by the military. 100 years old this year the station was closed in the 1980s. The place has had a colourful history, in 1915 a spy Augusto Alfredo Roggen was caught and hanged at the tower of London for taking photographs here...

Here is an old map of the site, where sadly several of the buildings have since been demolished: 

The Torpedo Testing Station can easily be missed when driving along the main road after Arrochar what with all the trees and shrubbery left to grow around it. There is a small access road which is where we parked up and went for a walk.

The main part of the station was set on fire with some of the damage visible here.

Most of the main pier is a shell housing nothing but broken windows and the remnants of what went before.

In this shot the weather actually looks quite welcome however this was just one of the brief dry spells when the horizontal rain let off for a few minutes before continuing its battering of the old station.

The old rails used to transport the torpedoes around the station are still set into the ground of most parts of it. Here you can see the doorways leading to the launching area, which unfortunately was not accessible for us due to the tide and the welded closed doors.

The inaccessible part of the station.

Next to the main part of the station was this slip way, complete with abandoned boat. Although this boat was possibly not used by the military.

Surprisingly we found what was left of the boat’s engine on the main road a good distance away.

The other side of those doors.

Around the station are various structures although we couldn’t access them either. Big sad face.

There were also various houses no doubt used to home some of the staff, caretakers or security for the place over the years. Although this place was closed in the 1980′s some of the houses still had satellite dishes attached to them.

One of the more interesting finds on the site was this relic of a caravan.

A good day out apart from the weather.

This a video of our journey:

Item by Abandoned Scotland - www.abandonedscotland.com -

Original post: Torpedo Testing Station - Arrochar - May 2011.

Photos on flickr: Torpedo Testing Station.

Abandoned Scotland: Dalquharran Castle

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Original post: Dalquharran Castle.

Out exploring in April 2011, we actually went to visit Loudoun Castle theme park but after walking up to the front entrance we were swiftly turned away by angry security concerned we were going to pinch gardening equipment (despite having nothing but camera equipment in hand). So our backup for the day was Dalquharran castle (old and new). It was actually a really good explore with the sunshine beaming (a rarity in the Scottish climate). We first made our way to the new castle, looking at the surrounding buildings and architecture. Sadly both castles are now shells with several of the upper floors being removed in the new castle and the walls crumbling in the old. Some detailing such as the fireplaces could still be seen in the upper floors of the castle and the basement had several items scattered around. 

Check out the video below to see the results of the day and more of what is left of the castles:

Built around 1790 Dalquharran Caslte replaced another castle of the same name, located within a few hundred yards from its present site. Built by Robert Adam, famous for Culzean Castle, it was extended in 1881 with the addition of the side wings.

Dalquharran Castle now lies in limbo, waiting for developers to renovate it to its former glory. Various rooms have been cleared however most of the upper floors are open to the sky.

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Original post: Dalquharran Castle.

Photos on flickr: Dalquharran Castle.

Abandoned Scotland: Glasgow Botanic Gardens Station

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Original post: Glasgow Botanic Gardens Underground Station Video.

We visited the underground station in the Botanic Gardens in Glasgow as one of our first explores, for most of us it was the first time we had been inside an abandoned railway tunnel. I think we all feel this was the best railway tunnel that we’ve been down in Scotland so far and it would take quite a bit to top it. 

The Botanic Gardens Station, Glasgow, was built 1896 and was part of the line which connected Stobcross with other forgotten stations in the Partick area and beyond. The station was the first on the line to close in 1939 and lies abandoned to this day. After its original closure the station building was converted into shops and was later a nightclub before it was destroyed by fire in 1970. Nothing remains of the building and the only evidence of the station's existance is the ventilation shafts visible from ground level within the Botanic Gardens.

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Original post: Glasgow Botanic Gardens Underground Station Video.

Photos on flickr: Botanic Gardens Station.

Abandoned Scotland: St. Peter's Seminary

POST FROM ITALIAPERDUTA.COM: ABANDONED SCOTLAND, ST. PETER'S SEMINARY

We publish today the first article of "Abandoned Scotland", a passionate team of urban esploration that undertake a very interesting journey to discover hidden and abbandoned places or off-limits zone in the beautiful Scotland. For those who want to know the urban exploration of Abandoned Scotland, this is their blog, rich of photos and videos: www.abandonedscotland.com.

Original post: Our first video St. Peter's Seminary.

Well it was back in March 2011 that we decided to visit St. Peter’s Seminary, since then an arts group called the NVA have made plans to renovate it and have the existing buildings back in use for art exhibitions and education. It will be interesting to see how it turns out with it’s new lease of life. In the meantime here is the video from our visit:

St Peter's Seminary was built in 1966 and is situated in dense woodland to the north of Cardross. IT was supposed to house up to 100 students, training to be catholic priests however never reached its full capacity. Due to maintenance problems the building fell into disrepair and was abandoned.

Its present state is a sorry sight, however surprisingly the building is listed Category A, which is the highest level of protection for a building. Nearly all parts of the building which are not made of concrete have been destroyed by vandals and the weather.

This is what remains of the students bedrooms. This one is one of the few remaining with what could pass as an intact floor.

The main hall of the Seminary.

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Original post: Our first video St. Peter's Seminary.

Photos on flickr: St. Peter's Seminary.