Pollok House
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You can imagine just what it was like to live both upstairs and downstairs at Pollok House, an elegant 18th century mansion which was home of the Stirling Maxwell family of Pollock.
Mrs Anne Maxwell Macdonald, whose family had owned the estate for almost 700 years, presented the house, gardens and parklands to the City of Glasgow in 1966.
A great favourite with Glaswegians, the house is a delightful oasis, in the heart of Pollok Country Park, just a few miles from Glasgow City Centre.
It contains a fine collection of family furniture, silver and glassware, as well as some wonderful paintings.
These were mostly acquired by Sir William Stirling Maxwell (1818-1878), who was an expert on Spanish art and history.
Not surprisingly, his collection includes great works by Spaniards such as Goya, Murillo and El Greco - whose famous Lady in a Fur Wrap can be seen in the Library.
Art lovers will be equally impressed by the William Blake paintings in the Cedar Room, originally a smoking room: Adam naming the Beasts, Eve naming the Birds and the Canterbury Pilgrims.
Don’t miss the remarkable astronomical clock in the Corridor stairwell. It is a unique example of Scottish clock making, dated 1764.
The extensive Servants Quarters in the basement provided space for the army of servants needed to keep the house running smoothly.
The handsome Edwardian Kitchen is now a restaurant, while a former servants’ dining room is a National Trust for Scotland shop.
An admission charge applies between 1st April and 31st October.