Neilston station is right next to Kingston Park with a skate park, children’s play area and marked sports pitches. Rudy’s walk went instead to a nearby open field with informal paths, a small copse – and a stone.
Standing Stone
Ordnance survey maps and Canmore record a standing stone south of Neilston station. Tradition has it that combat between two chiefs ended with them both dying of wounds and one, Neil, was buried at the stone giving the parish its name.
But this is just a stone, the one marked on old maps is lost and even then it’s more likely the name derives from “Nigel’s (Neil’s) tun or manor” a 12th Century sub-tenant. We like stories though and are fine if they get attached to an otherwise ordinary stone just stood up on its end for forgotten reasons.
The field where the stone stands is open to ploughed fields on one side but the well-worn paths make for a ten minute walk around the little hill. Rudy had a great time chasing after scents, there was evidence rabbits live here (we never saw any though!) and it’s a good guess from the well worn circular paths leading nowhere that many dogs get their daily exercise here.
While this field was really great for Rudy to run around it’s not enclosed – open to ploughed fields and a side road – so recall is a required skill for off-lead exploring.