The iconic statue of Peter Pan, which stood in the grounds of Mearnskirk House, has a history almost as interesting as the stories of the boy in whose image he was made.

When Mearnskirk Hospital opened its doors in 1930 it catered for Glasgow’s children, where the fresh air and rural location were thought to benefit the young tuberculosis patients. These children often only received visits once a week due to the long working hours of parents, and the difficulty of getting to the hospital via public transport (in the days when cars were not the norm!!). Initially the first superintendent of the hospital, Dr John Wilson , had several small cement figures erected in the grounds for the amusement of the children. They were also gifted a playpark in the grounds on the occasion of the marriage of the Queen in 1947.  However Dr Wilsons wish had always been to erect a bronze statue of the beloved children’s story character, Peter Pan. Sadly this vision was not realised by the time of his passing in 1946.

One of the frequent visitors to the hospital was philanthropist Mr Alfred Ellsworth. In memory of his friend, Dr Wilson , Mr Ellsworth set up a subscription for the public to raise funds in order to realise the dream of the Peter Pan statue for the children of Mearnskirk. The fundraising was a great success, and a statue was commissioned. The sculptor was Alex Proudfoot RSA, who created not just the statue of Peter, but four beautiful bronze panels around the plinth on which the statue stood. Each panel was illustrating a different scene from the tales of Peter Pan. The adventures of Wendy ,Tinkerbell, Captain Hook and the pirates were all depicted.