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Woodside

Ancient castles and mansions of Stirling nobility
James Sturk Fleming, Paisley, 1902

Woodside was a castle on the eastern edge of the Tor Wood but it was demolished in the mid-19th century and replaced by the mansion of Glenbervie House.

The exact early history of Woodside is unclear, however the first castle may have been built by the Bruce family in the late 15th century or in the 16th century. The estate of Woodside latterly included the lands of Lethbertschiells, or Lethbertscheilles, and Stanrigmill, and the history of Lethbertschiells goes back further than that of Woodside.

In the 14th century, during the reign of David II, Lethbertschiells was owned by Adam Salter and later by a William Lundie. Lundie forfeited the estate and it came into the possession of Adam de Argent prior to 1369, but in 1377 he resigned the lands in favour of Robert Stewart, the second son of Robert II and later Duke of Albany.

There is a charter of Lethbertschiells to Alexander Bruce of Stanehouse in 1451 and the lands passed first to his son, Sir John Bruce of Stenhouse and Airth, then to his grandson, Thomas Bruce, who was known as the first of Lethbertschiells and Woodside.

This seems to be the first mention of Woodside distinct from Lethbertschiells and may indicate that the first building was constructed at this time. What form it took is unclear however the east and north wings of the nearby Airth Castle were built by the Bruces during the 16th century and may give a clue as to the appearance of Woodside. It is marked on Pont’s late 16th century map as a tower named Woodsyide.

Pont 32: The East Central Lowlands
Timothy Pont, c.1583-96map image courtesy of NLS

Thomas Bruce was involved in a conflict with his neighbour Alexander Forrester of Torwood which seemed to continue down the generations of each family as Thomas’ grandson, Robert Bruce, was murdered by Robert and James Forrester, sons of Thomas Forrester of Myathill. Robert’s son, another Thomas, was retoured heir to his father in 1603 and married Elizabeth Rollock.

In 1629 the lands of Woodside were covered by a bog which was dislodged during a violet winter storm from what is now Letham Moss. Thomas Bruce, the fourth laird of Lethbertschiells and Woodside, sold the lands of Woodside, Lethbertschiells and Stanrigmill to Dame Helen Elphinstone, the fourth daughter of Alexander, 4th Lord Elphinstone, who had a charter of them in 1636. Dame Helen had previously been married to Sir William Cockburn of Langton and following his death to Henry Rollo or Rollok. Whether or not Henry was related to Thomas’ wife Elizabeth I have yet to ascertain.

Woodside then passed to John Rollo, the son of Dame Helen and Henry Rollo, upon his father’s death in 1649, and is marked on Blaeu’s map of 1654 as the tower of Woodsyide.

Sterlinensis praefectura, Sterlin-Shyr
Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1654map image courtesy of NLS

Following John’s death in 1674 Woodside passed to his son, Henry, who was a Supervisor of the Salt Duty, married Margaret Young whose parents are thought to have been Sir John Young of Leny and Mary, daughter of Sir Thomas Hope of Kerse.

This Henry Rollo evidently carried out some work on his property as the date 1692 and his initials intertwined with those of his wife, HR and MY, were to be found carved on a two storey building which stood to the south of the main castle.

Ancient castles and mansions of Stirling nobility
James Sturk Fleming, Paisley, 1902

The ruins of this building were described in the early 20th century as not having the appearance of being a defensive building, with walls around 0.6m (2 feet) thick. It measured around 16.5m east to west by around 6.1m north to south (54 feet by 20 feet) and consisted of two storeys with crow-stepped gables at the east and west ends. The building was described as being plain despite a moulded cornice just below roof level.

Ancient castles and mansions of Stirling nobility
James Sturk Fleming, Paisley, 1902

There seem to have been two rooms on the ground floor, each accessed via a separate doorway on the south side, and two rooms on the first floor above. Carved into the lintel above the west door was the aforementioned date of 1692. The monogrammed stone was carved over a door on the first floor which was accessed via an external staircase. At the east end of the ground floor was a wide-arched fireplace which took up the entire width of the building.

Given the size of the fireplace and the lack of defensive features I believe that this building was originally a kitchen wing added, possibly in the early 17th century, to the south side of an earlier castle which was probably built by the Bruces during the 16th century. Henry Rollo then perhaps remodelled the kitchen wing in 1692.

Just 18 years later Henry, by now Sir Henry, built a new mansion, Woodside House, seemingly on the site of the old castle and connected to the 17th century wing. Whether any fabric of the old castle was incorporated into the new house is not recorded, however a sketch of the new building seems to show a large rectangular three storey crow-stepped main block with two wings projecting west and surmounted by ogee roofs and a grand entrance between them.

Although the sketch isn’t particularly detailed it perhaps gives a hint that the main block had 17th century origins and was extended and remodelled by Sir Henry in 1710. An elaborately-carved lintel was installed over the main doorway and features the quartered arms of Sir Henry and his wife, the Rollo motto “La Fortune passe partout” (“Fortune in all things”), the date 1710 and two shields containing the initials SHR and DMY for Sir Henry Rollo and Dame Margaret Young.

Ancient castles and mansions of Stirling nobility
James Sturk Fleming, Paisley, 1902

In the same year Sir Henry added several acres to estate, acquired from his neighbour Lord George Forrester of Torwoodheid. But in 1724 they sold the estate to Sir George Dunbar of Mochrum, whose wife Janet was Dame Margaret’s sister. Sir George renamed Woodside to Dunbar House and also added to the size of the estate during his tenure.

Following Sir George’s death his trustees sold the estate to John Strachen or Strachan of Thornton in 1782 who also added land to the estate which he reverted to calling Woodside. In 1801 Strachan sold the estate to David Russell, a partner in the firm Stirling, Gordon & Co. in Glasgow, who also expanded the estate but who died in 1808.

Russell’s eldest son, Colonel James Russell of the Stirlingshire Militia, inherited the estate upon his father’s death. The Colonel died in 1830 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Lieutenant David Russell of the 9th Regiment of Hussars but his father’s trustees sold Woodside to his uncle, Sylvester Douglas Stirling, in 1832.

Stirling renamed Woodside as Glenbervie in recognition of his descent from Sir Archibald Douglas of Glenbervie in Kincardineshire. In 1846 Stirling drowned and around 1850 his wife, Anne, demolished the old house and built the new mansion of Glenbervie House around “600 yards to the south” of its predecessor, preserving only the entrance lintel.

This would place the site of the old house somewhere around the south side of the eastern edge of Wallacebank Wood. It’s possible that the distance was overestimated and that the old house was actually located where a later coach house was built, around 200m to the north of the present house.

Mrs Stirling died at Glenbervie in 1899 and her trustees sold the estate to James Aitken of Darroch in 1901, of the law firm Russel & Aitken. His sister, Janet (Jessie) Aitken, took over Glenbervie following his death in 1911 and she owned it until her death in 1923.

In 2006 the house was bought by the company that operates Airth Castle Hotel and opened as the Glenbervie House Hotel in 2007.

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Alternative names for Woodside

Dunbar House; Glenbervie Castle; Glenbervie House; Wodsyde; Woodside House; Woodsyd; Woodsyide

Clans associated with Woodside

Bruce

Surnames associated with Woodside

Bruce

Bruce of Airth

Dunbar

Rollo

Russell

Stirling

Where is Woodside?

Woodside is in the parish of Larbert and the county of Stirlingshire.

Grid reference: NS 85103 84538

Lat / long: 56.039892, -3.845794

Bing Maps | Google Maps | Historic maps (NLS) | OpenStreetMap | Ordnance Survey | PastMap | Streetmap | Wikimapia

OS Map for Woodside

OS map 349
Falkirk, Cumbernauld & Livingston (Linlithgow, Bathgate & Kilsyth)
OS Explorer map 349


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Directions to Woodside

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Weather at Woodside

14°C
max 14°C / min 14°C
5km/h S
1019mb
63%
90%
03:53 20:30

Overcast clouds
Weather observed at Larbert at 20:36
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References (books)

Ancient castles and mansions of Stirling nobility
James Sturk Fleming
Paisley, 1902
Lands and lairds of Larbert and Dunipace parishes
John Charles Gibson
Glasgow, 1908
The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015

References (websites)

Canmore

Castles near Woodside

Torwood Castle

1.5km away

Plane Castle

2.4km away

Dunipace Castle

2.9km away

Dunipace motte

3.1km away

Stenhouse (site of)

3.3km away

Bruce's Castle

3.3km away

Kinnaird House

3.4km away

Skaithmuir Tower (site of)

3.9km away

Carnock House (site of)

4.0km away
more castles....
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Ancient sites near Woodside

Tappoch broch

1.8km away

Doghillock Farm (possible) standing stone

3.6km away

Rosebank (site of) standing stone

4.4km away

Easter Moss souterrain

5.0km away

Bannockburn West cursus

6.5km away

Randolphfield A standing stone

9.7km away

Randolphfield B standing stone

9.7km away

Auchincloich (site of) broch

10.6km away

Airthrey Stone standing stone

12.5km away
more ancient sites....

Pictish stones near Woodside

Hawkhill Class III cross-slab

9.5km away

Old Kilmadock 2 Class I symbol stone

23.0km away

Old Kilmadock 1 Class II cross slab

23.0km away

Tullibole Class III cross slab

26.0km away

Blackford Class I symbol stone

26.3km away

Bore Stone of Gask Class II cross slab

35.7km away

Dupplin Cross Class III cross

39.7km away

Fowlis Wester Class II cross-slab

40.2km away

Fowlis Wester Church Class III cross-slab

40.3km away
more Pictish stones....

Pictish sites near Woodside

Todholes (possible) silver chain

43.1km away

Borland silver chain

43.7km away

Norrie's Law hoard

60.3km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

64.7km away

Haddington silver chain

67.0km away

Traprain Law silver chain

73.6km away

Whitlaw silver chain

74.0km away

Hoardweel silver chain

96.4km away

Dunnicaer fort

144.3km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Woodside

Premier Inn Falkirk (Larbert)
hotel, restaurant, barLarbert
1.1km away
The Plough Hotel
hotelLarbert
2.4km away
The Red Lion Hotel
hotelLarbert
2.7km away
Premier Inn Falkirk Central
hotel, restaurantFalkirk
4.9km away
Best Western Park Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barFalkirk
5.3km away
Airth Castle Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantAirth
5.4km away
The Graeme Hotel
hotelCarron
5.4km away
Premier Inn Falkirk North
hotel, restaurantFalkirk
5.6km away
Antonine Hotel
hotel, barFalkirk
6.0km away
Hotel Cladhan
hotelFalkirk
6.3km away

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more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Woodside

Premier Inn Falkirk (Larbert)
hotel, restaurant, barLarbert
1.1km away
Premier Inn Falkirk Central
hotel, restaurantFalkirk
4.9km away
Best Western Park Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barFalkirk
5.3km away
Airth Castle Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantAirth
5.4km away
Premier Inn Falkirk North
hotel, restaurantFalkirk
5.6km away
Antonine Hotel
hotel, barFalkirk
6.0km away
Premier Inn Stirling South (M9, J9)
hotel, restaurantStirling
7.0km away
Premier Inn Falkirk East
hotel, restaurantFalkirk
9.0km away
Glenskirlie House & Castle
hotel, restaurant, barBanknock
9.2km away
Macdonald Inchyra Hotel & Spa
hotel, restaurant, barPolmont
9.7km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Published on the 28th of January 2012 at 12:51 pm. Updated on the 5th of July 2020 at 3:58 pm.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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