There are no bears in Bearsden. There aren’t even any wolves well not anymore. The most aggressive animal you are likely to meet is a badger, and they hibernate so if it’s not summer then you are safe.
Now that this totally tongue in cheek misconception has been dealt with, let’s get down to the real business at hand. What sort of place is Bearsden? It falls into the wide category of area we lowlanders refer to as ‘Glasgow’ simply because of its postcode. It’s actually East Dunbartonshire but it’s close enough to the city for some to class it as a suburb.
Truthfully Bearsden is the posh end of Glasgow and probably the nicest place to live in East Dunbartonshire. There is less social housing here than there is in any other area of the city. It was one ranked in the top ten wealthiest places in Britain to live. If there are famous footballers you love and want to stalk this is more than likely where they live.
Image: TreasureGalore/Shutterstock.com
On The Antonine Wall
Asides from being expensive Glasgow, Bearsden is cut straight through the middle by the Antonine wall. This is the northern edge of where the Roman scouts explored. They didn’t want to go any further. The people north of it were mean, and the marshy, wild and craggy lands simply weren’t worth it. Besides anything else, only three things in history united the clans in mutual hatred. One was the Romans; we will let you decide when the other two were.
The town is named after the railway station, which was named after a cottage. There was a Roman bathhouse in the area and the first kirk was built there in 1649. The first recordings of people in the area were the Romans in 2 AD, but they didn’t go any farther north because of resistance. Basically, there were already folk here when the Romans arrived and we don’t know how long for.
Clans from Bearsden include the Buchans/Buchanans, the Montgomery’s, the Cunningham’s… and the usual suspects like the Stewarts, the Wallace’s and the Douglas’s.
So what is there to do in Bearsden if you are in the area? We put the whole place under a proverbial microscope to make your visit flow smoother.
What to do in Bearsden for a Day?
So if you are lucky enough to be in the Bearsden area what should you do and see? Here are our favourites… but feel free to add your own in the comments!
The Bearsden Bath House
The ruins of the bathhouse that was once placed here for military use can still be seen in Bearsden. There isn’t much to be seen mind you, but it is always wondrous to think of the people here so long before us. While you are visiting we recommend taking the short walk into the centre of town, from where you can still locate the Antonine Wall.
The bathhouse and the wall are open all year round. Actually, you can track the wall across Scotland from coast-to-coast. When you consider all that they had to build it with was manpower, it is actually quite impressive.
The Glasgow Golf Club
Golf is one of the pastimes the Scots love most and Bearsden is the site of one of the world’s very oldest courses. The Glasgow Golf Club was established in 1787 and is probably the reason that this is an area that has attracted the wealthy. It’s a great course and having it on your doorstep is a big bonus to living here. If you are visiting, there is also the Windy Hill Golf Course if you want a day pass that is a little more affordable. For the connoisseur though, this is definitely one to see.
Kilmardinny Loch
Bearsden has its very own Loch. It’s not tremendously big and it’s too close to Loch Lomond to be a real tourist attraction. That being said; you can spend a nice day here on a boat if you can afford the hire fee. You can spend the afternoon fishing – or even magnet fishing – or go for a paddle. On sunny summer days, the banks of any given loch are as good as the seaside.
Bearsden Leisure Centre
This is where the cool kids go to swim, attend sports classes, or use the gym. You can find any number of locals here on their day off. It’s actually called Allander leisure centre because Bearsden is named after a train station, which is named after a cottage… and nobody really likes it.
Mugdock Country Park
Out of town to the east is the Mugdock Country Park. This brilliantly named park is a great place to picnic of a summer weekend. Take the kids’ horse riding around the trails, go cycling or hiking and choose your route. It’s a lovely wooded park with some great little hidden gems to spot.
As well as the walks, you can hire a space here in the theatre/auditorium. It is quite a nice performance space too if they are running events.
More Things to do in Bearsden
This posh part of Scotland has actually got loads to do in it. Try these activities if you are there for longer than a day or two:
- Take a trip to Braehead and visit the shopping centre. You will find everything you need to entertain teenagers for a whole day.
- Go to the Loch mentioned above and hunt down all the Gruffalo sculptures with the kids. Julia Donaldson (the author) lives in Bearsden.
- Visit Kilmardinny House and Arts Centre – another place where you can catch a show. A free half-hour can be spent admiring the Victorian architecture or wandering the garden, too.
So get out there and see some Bearsden sights… you won’t be disappointed especially if the weather stays nice.
Still got Time to Kill?
If you find you still have time to kill then check out some of our other articles. There are hundreds of things you can learn, tours you can take, or skills you can brush up on with a little help from Five Minutes Spare. You might as well be investing your free time wisely.
