The Customs House stands at the western mouth of the Forth & Clyde Canal, Scotland's oldest, opened in 1790. It was built around 1800 to do one thing: log what came through Bowling Harbour, and let it pass.
Whisky, sugar, tobacco, cloth, timber, salt, tea. Anything arriving by ship was logged here, taxed, and sent on, up the railway and out across Scotland. Bowling was a working harbour, busy with vessels from across the country and the world. The Customs House kept the record of every one.
The canal closed in 1963. The railway above it closed in 1964. The arches went quiet, and the building waited. The canal reopened in 2002, for walkers, cyclists, narrowboats and pleasure craft, and in 2016 the viaduct beside the basin was conserved and brought back to life. Quieter than before. Alive again.
A family bought the building, refurbished it, and has welcomed guests since 2022. The job hasn't changed. Arrivals are logged, looked after, and sent on their way the next morning. Only the cargo is different. Now it's you.
Glasgow Airport is fifteen minutes by car. Loch Lomond, the Trossachs and the Highlands are within easy reach. The Botanic Gardens, Kelvingrove and the Riverside Museum are around twenty minutes away, and the Hydro is an easy run down the motorway. The towpath runs east to Glasgow and west to the Clyde, and the train station is a short walk. A good place to start from.
Enjoy spacious comfort and modern amenities for a relaxing stay.
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