A view looking south west to Shawlands Cross. The distinctive wedge shape of Crossmyloof Mansions at the junction of Kilmarnock and Pollokshaws Roads is a familiar sight to most South Siders, not least because on its bottom floor you’ll find The Granary. Home to a couple of generations of Shawlands drinkers since it opened in 1983, it was previously the southern outpost of Glasgow firm Samuel Dow Ltd. The company was started in 1807 by Lochaber native Samuel McCalman (Dow being an anglicised form of the surname). Originally a wine merchant and whisky bonder, the company had several pubs across the city by 1899.
The building itself is a white ashler tenement of around 1890, topped by a ballustraded parapet. The triangular footprint means it’s one of several “gushet” buildings in the city, other prominent examples being Eglinton and Paisley Road Tolls. Crossmyloof Mansions is a category B listed building and forms part of the Shawlands Conservation Area.
On the right is the former Glasgow Savings Bank which is now Linen bar and restaurant. It was designed by Neil Campbell Duff and opened its doors in 1906. Through the lights on the right hand side are two handsome churches. Furthest away is the Shawlands Old Parish Church designed by John A. Campbell and opened in 1889. It’s now home to the modern Destiny church. Just visible through the trees on the corner is the former Shawlands United Free Church, designed by Miller & Black and built between 1900 and 1903 at a cost of £15,000.
