Hansard

I congratulate Chic Brodie on securing the debate, particularly on this date. I say to those members of the public who are in the gallery for the first time that it is not unusual for George Adam to concentrate on Paisley. He never overlooks any chance to mention its name.

One point that George Adam missed out is that Sir William Arrol, who has been referred to throughout the debate, is still a resident of Paisley—he lies in Woodside cemetery in Paisley. I am sure that he would turn in his grave at the prospect of his beloved home being considered for demolition.

As Chic Brodie said, there is no doubt that Sir William Arrol was a giant of the 19th century. An industrialist and entrepreneur, he began work at nine years of age and went on to be a blacksmith at the mature age of 13. Something that has not been mentioned is that, thereafter, Sir William—like many young people in modern Scotland who attend college and university—went to night class to better himself. He eventually became one of Scotland’s great builders and contractors. The Forth rail bridge and the Tay rail bridge are two iconic bridges that are still in the minds of all Scots in the modern Scotland of the 21st century. The Titan crane, which was created by Sir William at a cost of £24,600, is a huge erection that still stands proud on the banks of the Clyde as a memorial to the Clyde’s ship-building history.

Why should Seafield house be so important to us? It is an Italianate villa that has a number of original architectural features and a four-storey tower. It not only saw life as a private home, but went on—after Sir William’s death—to be a hospital and then the headquarters of a health board. For a man like Sir William to decide to build his house in that fashion says something about the 19th century and tells us where we have come from. The house was built using the labour of many Scottish men and women in the west of Scotland. It stands proud to this day, and it deserves to be invested in for the future.

Seafield house in Ayr is interesting not only because of its design, but because of its role in the local community over time. It has become a significant building that is beloved of the local community. There is no doubt that we all fail to realise the significance of such buildings until we are in danger of losing them. The fact that Seafield house has got into its present state does not say anything about its value for the future.

Scotland’s place in the world is to do with its history and the part that it played in creating the world of the future—the world that we now live in. The people of the 19th century left their mark across the globe, and there is no doubt that people from across the globe will want to come and see where that process began. If for no other reason than the place in history that Sir William has and the beauty of the building itself, which Chic Brodie mentioned, the local community needs and deserves our support in ensuring that the house has a future and will be there in another 100 years’ time.

17:24