20 C O N T E X T 1 2 4 : M A Y 2 0 1 2 Pleasure piers are more common in England than in Scotland. Dating from the latter half of the 19th century, Dunoon Pier on the west coast of Scotland is our best surviving example of a timber ferry pier. At the height of its popularity, access to the pier for non-passengers became ticketed: it had an intrinsic interest in its own right, not just as a place of travel but as a leisure destination. A rail link from Glasgow to Gourock opened in 1841, leading to increased tourism in and around the Clyde Estuary. A more substantial pier was built at Dunoon in 1845, destroyed by a storm in 1848, rebuilt the following year and extended in 1867. In 1896, the pier was enlarged to its present, inverted F-plan form. The use of timber piling to form marine structures has a long and significant history in Scotland, and on the west coast in particular. Once commonplace, they are now a rare building type. The timber piles of Dunoon Pier are braced in pairs and further braced by diagonal timbers, with the outer piers battered to resist the forces of berthing ships. Structurally, the pier was highly engineered in response to the severity of the storms along this particular stretch of coast, and the large number of steamers and other vessels the pier served. One of the finest examples of railway architecture in Scotland is similarly associated with ferry travel. Wemyss Bay Station on the west coast was built for the Caledonian Railway in 1903–4. Designed by the renowned architect James Miller, it is a terminus on the Inverclyde Line and provides a link to the ferry to the Isle of Bute. It is an astounding composition of sweeping glass and steel, with a circular ticket office. Glasgow was home to many Scottish motor car manufacturers in the early 1900s. The city embraced the new technology.While the pioneering manufacturers have not stood the test of time, Glasgow still has an outstanding reminder of its automobile heritage. I was lucky enough to be involved in the research for a proposed change of category for the former Botanic Gardens Garage in Glasgow. Already listed at category B in view of its regional importance, new information had come to light suggesting that it could be much more important. Research showed that it was an exceptionally early purpose-built public garage dating from 1906–12. It is likely to be the earliest surviving example in Scotland. What made this building even more remarkable is that it is not just single storey, A stunning view of the sweeping curves of the interior ofWemyss Bay Station Wemyss Bay Station Dunoon Pier
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