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Southern General Hospital | Explored by Drone

Historical Landmarks

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Take an aerial tour through time as we explore the fascinating architectural and social history of Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital in Series 4, Part 14 of our Glasgow South Side series!

Through high-definition drone footage, this episode highlights the site’s Category "B" listed Victorian buildings and traces its extraordinary evolution over more than 150 years. From its origins as 19th-century military barracks and the Merryflats Poorhouse to becoming a world-renowned NHS teaching hospital and the modern Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) super-hospital complex, learn how this historic footprint came to serve roughly 41% of Scotland's population.

🏛️ Historical Highlights & Featured Landmarks:

Victorian Architecture: Fly past the Category "B" listed structures erected between 1867 and 1872, designed by prominent Glasgow architect James Thomson.

Early Social Welfare: Discover how the former Eglinton Street cavalry barracks were initially adapted by architects James Salmon (Senior) and Robert Black to house paupers from Govan and Gorbals, before severe overcrowding forced the relocation to Merryflats.

The Merryflats Complex: Learn about the 1872 facility featuring a general hospital, poorhouse, and dedicated asylum block, which officially adopted the name Southern General Hospital in 1923.

Groundbreaking Medical Discoveries: Uncover the hospital’s medical legacy, including the development of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) in 1974 by Sir Graham Teasdale and Bryan Jennett, as well as Dr Sheila Reith’s co-creation of the world’s first practical insulin pen in the late 1970s.

Modern Evolution: Follow the site’s journey from joining the NHS in 1948 to the construction of the £842m QEUH complex (locally nicknamed the "Death Star") and the Royal Hospital for Children.

🌐 Official Links & Resources

📺 Subscribe for More Architectural History:
@historicallandmarks-sandy

🌐 Visit Our Official Website:
www.historicallandmarks.co.uk

🎬 Master Playlist: Series 4 - Glasgow South Side
Glasgow South Side | Historical Landmarks ...

⏱️ Timecode Chapters
00:00 Intro to Southern General | Series 4 Part 1
00:06 Southern General Hospital - Part 1
01:15 Map from 1857
01:30 Southern General Hospital - Part 2
08:38 Map from 1892
08:53 Southern General Hospital - Part 3
14:00 Map from 1958
14:15 Southern General Hospital - Part 4
18:26 Outro Thanks for Watching

💬 Join the Conversation:
Did you work at the Southern General Hospital, or do you have family memories connected to this iconic Glasgow site? Let us know in the comments below!

If you enjoyed this aerial exploration, please click the Like button, Subscribe, and share this video with fellow local history and architecture enthusiasts.

#SouthernGeneral #GlasgowHistory #DroneFootage #ScottishHistory #QEUH #ArchitecturalHistory #GlasgowSouthSide #NHSScotland

13 Comments

@HistoricalLandmarks-Sandy Creator 2 weeks ago Pinned

Do you or your family have any personal memories or connections to the Southern General Hospital,? Share your stories in the replies below - we'd love to read them! 👇

🎬 Explore the full Glasgow South Side Series:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD3pnjE8D-5dCX5GTwLt7axyCj5JXQfgi&si=sIDFHRuXiXneatpj

🔔 Subscribe for more architecture history videos:

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@ninja-japan 2 weeks ago

The medical history connected to this place is equally remarkable, especially the development of the Glasgow Coma Scale and the practical insulin pen. It’s amazing how one location can hold so much architectural, social, and medical history.
Thank you for bringing these layers of Glasgow’s history to life through such detailed drone footage and storytelling.

@margotschulte9333 2 weeks ago

Beautiful video, thank you for sharing ❤

@Sherlock-Drones 2 weeks ago

That was lovely the music was soothing and the information great as always. Love the top down over the clock.

@ARTTYTOUR 2 weeks ago

Like😊It So Wonderful Historical , Thank you for sharing my dear Friend

@scotlandshistory 2 weeks ago

Great video! I loved learning about . It's a stunning building and I did like the artwork. Thank you so much for all your hard work.

@orbitalflyers 2 weeks ago

Great video, was there once in 1986, I was looked after well there, lovely viewpoints around Govan, great watch, thanks for sharing Sandy 🎉❤

@pedalsandpropellers 2 weeks ago

Beautiful building 😊
Expertly filmed, Sandy and excellent information as always 👍

@johnnymac26 2 weeks ago

Cracking work mate enjoying this from a very warm and sunny lanzarote

@johncollings5881 2 weeks ago

It was a really interesting video. My wife trained as a midwife there in 1975/76. She gas hen a patient in The QEUH a few times recently

@Follyfoot1962 2 weeks ago

Great video. Very informative. Interesting to know about the origins of the GCS and Insulin pen. Wow! Glasgow has many inventions and inventors that have gifted the planet.
My sister and I were born in the Bellshill Maternity Hospital many years ago. It’s no longer there. It was quite large. God bless the NHS.
Keep up the great work with these very intelligent videos. I loved the gentle soothing music too. Perfect!

@andrewcoats911 2 weeks ago

Worked at the old Southern for about a year in 2010/2011 as it was starting to close various buildings for the building of the QEH. The old hospital was a great site, but not a fan of the new QEH for various reasons. Was glad they retained the two old buildings, although sadly looks like the smaller of the two is unused. My late dad was probably one of the last patients in Wards 3 & 4 of that old building in 2012 before they moved those wards to the Langlands Building.

@karengillies2062 2 weeks ago

Mildly confusing at 1st, not being nasty but add in at the beginning the original sgh/poor house from converted army barracks sat not far from what is Eglinton toll, no where the sgh/qeuh sits today(I think if I remember correctly) again no offence meant & forgive me if it sounds cheeky what I have said.