The former Exciseman’s House at Bowling, part of the old Littlemill Distillery complex, has been granted demolition consent by West Dunbartonshire Council. The 18th century building, which housed the excise officers responsible for ensuring proper taxes were paid at the brewery, has lain vacant for three decades and has been declared beyond economic repair and dangerous.
The decision was not taken lightly. The West of Scotland Archaeology Service wrote to the council asking it to consider the application with care, acknowledging the need for demolition while stressing the building’s historical importance. The service requested that a detailed survey be completed before any work begins, ensuring an accurate record of the structure is preserved for posterity.
The council agreed and attached the condition to the demolition consent. The survey’s scope will be determined by the archaeology service, and once completed, it will be deposited in the National Monuments Record for Scotland.
Two further conditions protect the building’s stonework. No stone is to be removed from the site without prior written agreement from the planning authority, and a report by AGM Stone recommends that 20 per cent of the existing sandstone could be reclaimed for reuse if carefully dismantled, cleaned, and sorted.
Littlemill Distillery itself ceased production in 1994, and the site has deteriorated steadily since. A fire in 2004 caused further damage to the exciseman’s house. There comes a point where preservation is no longer feasible, and this building has clearly reached it. What matters now is that the record of its existence is properly documented and that whatever stone can be salvaged is put to good use. Scotland loses too many historic buildings without even bothering to record what is being destroyed.
