As a new graduate I directed the excavation of this towerhouse site in the south side of Glasgow in 1980–81. The project eventually emerged into the light of publication in 2016. I will look at some of the key elements in the site’s development, from the construction of the towerhouse in 1450, through a major refurbishment and extension in the 17th century, to abandonment and partial demolition in c. 1740, and in particular at how the ambitions and careers of two owners, Alan Lord Cathcart and Bryce Semple, shaped its development and use. I will also look at the clearance assemblage from the 1740 demolition.

The photograph shows a plaster armorial panel from plasterwork installed in the tower in c. 1630, showing the arms of (left) Bryce Semple of Cathcart, and (right) Jean Lauder of Halton.