Despite all these changes, the same basic routes established during the turnpike era are still in use today, as evidenced by markers like this which still lie alongside the main roads between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
By the time the turnpike era finally ended in the late 1800s, the stagecoaches between Scotland's two largest cities had been superseded first by swift canal boats, which offered not only a smoother journey, but, at just over 9 hours, also a faster one, and then in 1842 by Scotland's first intercity train service, which was faster still.
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A stone milemarker at Crostorphine on the main road between Glasgow and Edinburgh. It probably dates back to the 18th century, and the birth of the Scottish turnpike era. Turnpikes were private roads which, due to their higher quality in comparison to the cart and drovers tracks that preceded them, allowed for much faster speeds and shorter travel times throughout the country.
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I've only ever found this design on the roads leading into Glasgow from the north (from Drymen and Aberfoyle), but I presume they were also used on roads leading in from other directions as well. I have no idea if any of them are protected in any way, but they don't seem to be.
The remaining mile markers of this style are all situated on the side of the road heading towards Glasgow, and were presumably erected by the city's Royal Exchange (as this is the location the distances are give to). These cast-iron ones replaced older stone ones, which gave distances to Glasgow Cross (and as far as I know, only one of these stone ones remains).
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A cast-iron mile marker on the road between Glasgow and Aberfoyle (to use the modern spelling). Originally placed every mile, I know of six, out of of what was presumably originally around 27, that are left in situ along this road. This design seems to be unique to Glasgow, and the ones giving distances to Stirling and to major towns south of Glasgow follow different designs.
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Bonus #Joke
Q: What do you call a fake blarney stone?
A: A sham-rock.
(It's #HootinTootinTuesday again! Post some jokes or funny memes under this hashtag today, and bring lots of smiles to #Mastodon.)
#Humor #Humour #FunnyMeme #Puns #DadJokes #StPatricksDay #StPaddysDay #StPatricksDayMemes #Cemetery #Gravestone #MileMarker #Ireland #BlarneyStone #Shamrocks
The choice of the Royal Exchange as the reference point for distances to the city, rather than either Glasgow Cross or a municipal building, suggests mile markers like this were paid for by the Royal Exchange itself, which served as a meeting place for merchants and businessmen wishing to trade in commodities, such as coal or iron, or services, such as shipping. If so, it would suggest they were as much an early form of advertising as they were a public service.
Cast iron mile post on Glasgow Road in Milngavie to the northwest of the city. The measurement of the distance to the Royal Exchange indicates it was made after 1827 (when the exchange was first established), while the alternative spelling for Aberfoyle suggests it was made prior to the start of the 20th Century when the current spelling for this town became standard.
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#glasgow #fingerpost #milemarker #glasgowhistory #royalexchange
Cast-iron mile marker on Drymen Road on the outskirts of Glasgow.
#glasgow #castiron #metalwork #drymen #milemarker #glasgowhistory
This Is My Glasgow
AnneTheWriter