Eaglesham

Eaglesham ( EE-gəl-səm or EE-gəl-shəm) is a village in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, situated about 10 miles (16 km) south of Glasgow, 3 miles (5 km) southeast of Newton Mearns and south of Clarkston, and 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of East Kilbride. The 2011 census revealed that the village had 3,114 occupants, down 13 from the 2001 census (3,127). Eaglesham is distinctive in being built around the Orry, a triangular park area of common land about 1⁄3 mile (540 m) in length, interspersed with trees and divided in the centre by the Eaglesham Burn. The ancient seat of the Earls of Eglinton. In the 17th century Eaglesham was a small market town. Today's village was founded in 1769 by Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton. It had at one time handloom weaving and a cotton-mill. Many of its buildings are category B or C listed buildings, and the planned village area is a conservation area. Eaglesham was designated Scotland's first outstanding conservation area in 1960. It is likely that here has been a place of worship since the 5th or 6th centuries. The village is an example of an early Scottish planned village.