New listing for historic garage

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A historic garage which was built at the dawn of Scotland's motoring age has been saved for future generations.

The Arnold Clark Garage in Glasgow's west end has been designated as nationally important.

Historic Scotland has upgraded the garage from category B to A ranking it alongside nationally important sites such as Edinburgh Castle.

The site, also known as the Botanics Garage, on the city's Vinicombe Street had been threatened with demolition.

Historic Scotland's Head of Listing, Dr Deborah Mays, said: "The garage was built in the early 1900s when parking on the street was not allowed.

We will ensure the recognised and desirable features are incorporated into any future design An Arnold Clark spokeswoman

"People living in grand Glasgow tenements would have relied on public parking garages like this one.

"Though existing buildings were converted for use as garages, purpose-built multi-storey garages were not common.

"It is an incredibly rare survival and may well be the earliest one of its type remaining in Scotland."

When the Botanics Garage was built, Glasgow was home to many car manufacturers and the city appears to have embraced the motoring phenomenon.

A spokeswoman for Arnold Clark Automobiles said: "We are currently working with Glasgow City Council and Historic Scotland to find a satisfactory solution for this site.

"We will ensure the recognised and desirable features are incorporated into any future design and will endeavour to create a useful and valuable commodity for the west end and wider community."