Site History

The Stables Complex was built on the StirlingMaxwell family estate. In 1966 the family gifted the land and buildings of Pollok Country Park “for the benefit of the citizens of Glasgow.”.

Built to serve nearby Pollok House, the site is embedded within a hierarchical dynamic between upper and lower classes. The estate was funded by one of the most powerful landowning families in Renfrewshire, that gained much of their wealth through the exploitation of slaves. After the abolition of slavery in 1833, “the younger Archibald Stirling was awarded £12,517 in compensation (over £50 million in today’s money) for the 690 enslaved people across his estates”.