Central Scotland has definitely been a bit of a hot spot for disused cinemas over the past few years in much the same way as South Wales was a decade or so ago. For various reasons ive not gotten around to posting reports from many of them, good or bad so here's a bit of a round up of ones we've done over the course of a few trips during 2023 and 2024.
Port Glasgow Plaza - Formally a Gala bingo that closed around 2010, i did have a few pokes at it a number of years ago but it had somewhat fallen off my radar until some internal pictures appeared on a random facebook post. Turns out it had been used as a weed grow and then subsequently had a fire before being left for dead. Luckily Dweeb was up in Glasgow for work the very same week it appeared and i was able to point him in the right direction for an initial explore before returning with him and Dave several more times to make sure we had seen all there was to see. It's in a bit of a sorry state but I actually quite rate it as a cinema explore. Made a change from the clean bingo halls.
Rutherglen Odeon - A covid closure that became permanent. Explored with Dave after a tip off from AndyK that it was open. We spent the best part of 2 hours trying to get the lights on but ultimately failed. Some fuses must have popped in one of the main feeds. Got to say i didnt rate the place at all. Other than the auditorium, which was ok I guess, there was very little to see or photograph.
Ayr Playhouse - I did get a report up from this one so i'll be brief. Very nice and unusual theatre, walk in, nice bit of luck for once. Hopefully got sealed up for its own sake
Dumbarton Rialto - Small town cinema that had been converted to bingo downstairs and had two small screens in the circle. Unfortunately it had been subject to the weed grow treatment that meant the entire building.. (and i mean pretty much everything!) had been sprayed white! Never seen that before.. It had a couple of projectors and a few bits and bobs left upstairs but otherwise it was a bad combination of being quite a modern conversion, full of weed grow tat and generally being a bit small and empty so nothing to get excited about.
Lanark Regal - Epic on a stick old skool bingo conversion. Been looking for a sensible way in for a number of years with no luck. Not surprising in hindsight as it appeared the guy who owned it was still using the office in there (and apparently even sleeping in there) until at least 2019. Quite how i dont know as the place is fucked and properly derelict in the way that so many cinema explores just arnt anymore. The whole place took me right back to 2009. The auditorium was cracking, very much one of my favourites and there was a fair bit to see behind the scenes too. Got to say, i would have prefered to be doing it on a nice summers morning. As it was the rain was streaming in through the porous roof turning the mountains of pigeon guano into a sloppy slippery shit soup. Knowing that we didn't have a chance of a shower for at least 24 hours didn't do wonders for my enjoyment of the experience of navigating the upper floors. I think we still managed to get around it all in the end tho.
Grangemouth Electric - Not really sure how this one had passed me by as it appeared to have been disused for quite some time. Credit to Dweeb for finding a way in, again apparently after spotting it posted as a 'super secret' 'you will never work out where it is' Facebook location.. On the face of it it looked like it was going to be a goodun but in all honesty lacked much other than the nice plasterwork detail.. Strangely between visits someone had been in and completely cleared out all of the bingo chairs and tables downstairs. Quite why we cant fathom. The building is almost a ruin now with the foyer roof having completely collapsed. Did half expect to go back and find some horticultural activities going on but nope..
There's many more up there we have checked out and not had so much luck with. I'll make sure I put them all in the cinema list so you can crack them and give me a reason to plan another trip.
Port Glasgow Plaza - Formally a Gala bingo that closed around 2010, i did have a few pokes at it a number of years ago but it had somewhat fallen off my radar until some internal pictures appeared on a random facebook post. Turns out it had been used as a weed grow and then subsequently had a fire before being left for dead. Luckily Dweeb was up in Glasgow for work the very same week it appeared and i was able to point him in the right direction for an initial explore before returning with him and Dave several more times to make sure we had seen all there was to see. It's in a bit of a sorry state but I actually quite rate it as a cinema explore. Made a change from the clean bingo halls.
Rutherglen Odeon - A covid closure that became permanent. Explored with Dave after a tip off from AndyK that it was open. We spent the best part of 2 hours trying to get the lights on but ultimately failed. Some fuses must have popped in one of the main feeds. Got to say i didnt rate the place at all. Other than the auditorium, which was ok I guess, there was very little to see or photograph.
Ayr Playhouse - I did get a report up from this one so i'll be brief. Very nice and unusual theatre, walk in, nice bit of luck for once. Hopefully got sealed up for its own sake
Dumbarton Rialto - Small town cinema that had been converted to bingo downstairs and had two small screens in the circle. Unfortunately it had been subject to the weed grow treatment that meant the entire building.. (and i mean pretty much everything!) had been sprayed white! Never seen that before.. It had a couple of projectors and a few bits and bobs left upstairs but otherwise it was a bad combination of being quite a modern conversion, full of weed grow tat and generally being a bit small and empty so nothing to get excited about.
Lanark Regal - Epic on a stick old skool bingo conversion. Been looking for a sensible way in for a number of years with no luck. Not surprising in hindsight as it appeared the guy who owned it was still using the office in there (and apparently even sleeping in there) until at least 2019. Quite how i dont know as the place is fucked and properly derelict in the way that so many cinema explores just arnt anymore. The whole place took me right back to 2009. The auditorium was cracking, very much one of my favourites and there was a fair bit to see behind the scenes too. Got to say, i would have prefered to be doing it on a nice summers morning. As it was the rain was streaming in through the porous roof turning the mountains of pigeon guano into a sloppy slippery shit soup. Knowing that we didn't have a chance of a shower for at least 24 hours didn't do wonders for my enjoyment of the experience of navigating the upper floors. I think we still managed to get around it all in the end tho.
Grangemouth Electric - Not really sure how this one had passed me by as it appeared to have been disused for quite some time. Credit to Dweeb for finding a way in, again apparently after spotting it posted as a 'super secret' 'you will never work out where it is' Facebook location.. On the face of it it looked like it was going to be a goodun but in all honesty lacked much other than the nice plasterwork detail.. Strangely between visits someone had been in and completely cleared out all of the bingo chairs and tables downstairs. Quite why we cant fathom. The building is almost a ruin now with the foyer roof having completely collapsed. Did half expect to go back and find some horticultural activities going on but nope..
There's many more up there we have checked out and not had so much luck with. I'll make sure I put them all in the cinema list so you can crack them and give me a reason to plan another trip.
