Visit Date August 2006
Gartnavel
Architect Charles Wilson
Opened 1843
Patients ?
Closed Late 1990’s?
Other A general hospital was built in the grounds in 1968 – 1973
Glasgow Lunatic Asylum was first opened in Parliamentary Road in 1814 and was granted a Royal charter 10 years later. Due to overcrowding it was decided that all services should be moved to another location more suited for the needs and care of the mentally ill. Great Western Road was chosen as the site for the new Asylum, the new asylum was built in the Tudor Gothic style and was opened in 1843. The old hospital was used as a the city's poorhouse and was demolished in 1903.
The new Asylum was built in two sections to allow for the segregation between fee 
paying patients who were housed in the West section, and the pauper patients who were housed in the East. The two buildings were connected in 1877.
A general hospital was built on the site in 1968 and is still in use today.
Builders are now working on areas that surround the old asylum and part of the working hospital is close so it certainly made for a bit of a nervous entry!!
The effects of the weather can clearly be seen when inside the floors in some sections have swelled leaving the floors resembling a fair ground ride with added danger! In one section the two floors have completely collapsed.
There is a main hall on the site but it was only hastily seen as there was still a working PIR in the corridor leading to it! Lots of pieces of the hospital still remain in situ including a rather scary piece of patient art which is missing its head!
I do not know what the future is for Gartnavel Asylum buildings but I do hope that it wont be left to internally rot as this seems to be quite a common theme in Scotland.