The Eglinton Arms Hotel is set in the charming conservation village of Eaglesham, situated at the edge of the ‘Orry’ – a large expanse of green leafy common ground and the Lynn Burn.
The Hotel was originally a Coaching Inn during the late 19th century and much of its old world charm remains due to the sympathetic renovations.
Eaglesham is Scotland’s first Conservation village, planned and built in 1769 by Alexander Montgomerie, the 10th Earl of Eglinton. The present village of Eaglesham is of comparatively modern origin – an ancient hamlet of the same name having been demolished in 1769 to make way for it. The village was planned in the shape of the ‘A’, the initial letter of his first name – it is consequently regular in its appearance and consists of two lengthened rows of houses running east to west – Montomery & Polnoon Streets. At the upper end the rows of houses are 100, and at the lower 250 yards apart. Originally at the lower end beside The Eglinton Arms Inn, was situated a meal-mill and the parish school. Mid way up in the hollow was the extensive establishment of the Eaglesham Spinning Company. The machinery was driven by an immense water wheel of iron, about 45 feet in diameter. At the southeast corner of the village is the parish church which was erected in 1790 by Archibald, 11th Earl of Eglinton. The name Eaglesham came from ‘’Eglais’’ which is Gaelic for Church and ‘’Ham’’ which is Anglo Saxon for Village, thus giving Church Village.
The 13th Earl of Eglinton sold Eaglesham Estate in 1844 when he ran into financial problems. In 1860 Allan Gilmour who then owned Eaglesham Estate refused to allow the railway into the village, which has helped to preserve Eaglesham in the longer term but in the short term it caused the end of milling which finished in 1876 when the mill was destroyed by fire.
Glasgow South Eglinton Arms Hotel,