Haggs Castle
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Haggs Castle is a 16th-century tower house, located in the neighbourhood of Pollokshields, in Glasgow, Scotland. The richly decorated building was restored in the 19th century, and today is once more occupied as a residence.
The carved stone above the door records that Haggs was built in 1585 by Sir John Maxwell of Pollok and his wife Margaret Conyngham (Cunningham). It was built to replace the Maxwells' former residence, the Laigh Castle, a 14th-century building which stood to the west.[1] Although built as the Maxwells' main residence, it was later used as a jointure house, or dower house, being occupied by the lord's widow.[2][3] The Maxwells, a covenanting family, were fined for nonconformist activities, although the change of government resulting from the revolution of 1688 saved them from paying up.[4] In 1753 Haggs in turn was replaced as a residence and abandoned when Pollok House was completed.
The castle basement was later used as a smithy.[5] In the 1850s the remains were consolidated, and in the 1860s the castle was restored for the Maxwells' factor. Further restorations and additions were undertaken by Sir John Stirling-Maxwell in 1899–1900. A renovation scheme was prepared by architects MacGibbon and Ross, although their plans for a faithful restoration were not followed.[2]
In 1943 the castle was requisitioned by the military, and was later divided into flats. In 1972 the Glasgow Corporation bought the castle, converting it to serve as the Museum of Childhood.[3] When this closed in 1998, the house once more became a private dwelling.
