MOSES McNEIL was the humble man who played a big part in the story of one of the most famous clubs in world football – and now the home where the man who helped establish Rangers FC lived could be yours.
Craig Cottage in Clynder, as well as boasting a direct link to a man who would end up playing such a hugely influential role in the story of Scottish football, is a lovely four-bedroom semi-detached home hidden away up a private lane near the west shore of the Gareloch – and for less than £300,000, you could be its next owner.
McNeil, who was both in Rhu on October 29, 1855, packed his bags at the age of 16 and left his childhood home in Rosneath to seek work in industrial Glasgow.
What he actually did was help form a football club that was to become the world's most successful & would affect the lives of millions worldwide for generations to come.
Craig Cottage in Clynder, where Rangers founder Moses McNeil lived for the last few years of his life, is on the market for offers over £260,000 (Image: Nested Nationwide/Rightmove)
After retiring from the game, McNeil lived with his sisters Elizabeth and Isabella in a cottage in Clynder – and it’s the four-bedroom home in the village where McNeil spent the last few years of his life that’s gone up for sale.
A blue plaque at the entrance to the property announces it as the home of ‘Moses McNeil, 29.10.1855-09.04.1938, Founder of Rangers FC’.
Located just off Shore Road, Craig Cottage would make an ideal family home – or of course an irresistible prospect to an investor who’s a dedicated Rangers supporter or has an interest in preserving and treasuring the history of the game in Scotland.
It’s an impressive, traditional, semi-detached villa of a fantastic size and boasting plenty of versatile living space over both its levels.
It has also recently been redecorated – and, importantly for any potential buyers keen to care for the environment as well as watching their bills, has also been upgraded to feature both an air source heat pump and solar panels.
Entering through the front door, the welcoming reception allows access to a living room and dining area which is more than 18 feet long and features an inglenook fireplace, a cast iron solid fuel burner, and a feature bay window to the front.
The kitchen, too, is of a good size, while the ground level also features one of the property’s four bedrooms as well as a small WC.
The three other bedrooms are all located on the upper floor, where you’ll also find a four-piece bathroom that’s as spacious as it is luxurious.
Here, the blue and white décor harks back to the house’s most famous past resident perhaps more than anywhere else in the property, and there’s luxurious eight-jet shower and a separate bath too.
Outside, there are gardens to both the front and rear; the front is low-maintenance and features a reinstated well, complete with football crest, while the rear is enclosed with a raised lawn.
Rosneath is less than a mile away, while Garelochhead, Kilcreggan and Helensburgh are also within easy reach.
And, for those with an eye on the property’s history, and its best-known former occupant, it’s also a short distance from Rosneath Old Churchyard – where, in 2004, locals discovered Moses McNeil’s grave.
Moses died, alone and penniless, of heart disease at the age of 82, in the same plot as his two sisters; he never married, and as the last member of the family, his name didn’t appear alongside those of Elizabeth, Isabella and his brother-in-law, Duncan Gray.
Moses died, alone and penniless, of heart disease at the age of 82, in the same plot as his two sisters; Moses never married, and as the last member of the family, his name didn’t appear alongside those of Elizabeth, Isabella and his brother-in-law, Duncan Gray.
Happily, that was rectified in the summer of 2015, when an engraved granite plaque was placed next to the gravestone – meaning that the next owner of Craig Cottage, should they wish, can take a wander of just a few minutes down the road, whenever they choose, to remember Moses McNeil and the part he played in linking a tiny Garelochside hamlet to a name recognised by football fans around the world.
Craig Cottage is being marketed by Nested Nationwide, of London, who are looking for offers of more than £260,000.
For more information see https://tinyurl.com/craigcottageclynder or call the estate agents on 020 3910 6490.
All information and images from Nested Nationwide/Rightmove
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here