On 14 July 1971, under the headline "Face-lift at Granary", the East Fife Mail reported on the restoration of the former salt girnel/granary/net store building at Cellar Brae. The photograph above shows the work underway, at the stage when the roof was being replaced but the sea wall had yet to be heightened. Below are a few images taken in the mid-1970s, just a few years after completion. The conversion into a "seaside cottage" was carried out for "Mr John Gilmour, elder son of the Conservative M.P. for East Fife, Sir John Gilmour, Bt". Then aged 26, Mr Gilmour and his wife first decided to restore the granary in 1969 when they "noticed that it was literally falling to pieces and decided that we had to preserve it".  

In explaining the former uses of the building, Mr Gilmour said "in the past the Cellar Brae granary has been put to a variety of uses. At first it was of course a place where local grain was stored before being shipped across the Forth to Leith but that trade died out over a hundred years ago." He continued "for many years it was used by local fishermen as a storehouse for their nets and lobster pots but at one time it even housed a joiner's business." It's interesting that the real original use of the building as a salt girnel had at this point apparently been forgotten.

The building in fact had mixed use for long periods of time. Note that local joiner Alec Tait had workshop space within the granary building from around 1920 into the 1960s, his father David Tait having had the workshop there before him from the early 1890s. This overlapped with use as a granary and then a net store. It was the building's affinity with the village's fishing industry that Mr Gilmour was keen to maintain. At the time of the newspaper piece he was contemplating a suitable name for the finished dwelling. "Perhaps we will call it the 'Net House'. I think that would be an appropriate name for the cottage".  And so it came to pass that the house was given that name, when the restoration work was completed in 1972 - the name which it still goes by today. 

In 1984 the building was given a category B listing, in recognition of its architectural and historical interest. A great example of a mid-eighteenth century structure in a local style and with a varied past use, its listing description is given as:
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2 storey, boulder rubble with large sandstone lintels to ground floor, and low buttresses to long sides. South elevation has arched door near centre with stugged ashlar dressings and deep flanking buttresses, 2 windows left and 3 right; 3 small, first floor windows, window over door, raised through eaves with catslide roof, large modern studio window with gabled head. Glazed doors in east gable. North elevation irregular fenestration, 6 ground and 4 1st floor window. Pantiled roof with slate easing course, skews and 2 stacks. Curved boulder rubble wall to south remains of west pier, probably 18th century, with steps down to water, and low bastion enclosing circle of setts at site of horsemill.

The image below shows the setts at the site of a horse mill between the building and the sea wall. The date of this feature is unclear but likely aligns to the years when the site was used as a granary.
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The photographs above show the west-facing gable end pre- and post-conversion. The high window suggests the earlier presence of a forestair to an entrance at the upper level. The extent of the heightening of the sea wall can also be seen in the post-restoration image.  The conversion to a private dwelling was carried out by Leven architect firm L.A. Rolland and Partners and the project won a Civic Trust heritage award. The design by David Pirie sought to maintain the original character and tradition of this imposing structure. 

Described as a "derelict stone bothy" which had been neglected for years, one specific requirement of the restoration was that the external walls were left unharled. Commenting in the 25 June 1975 East Fife Mail, Mr Rolland noted that "five years ago people didn't do nearly so much of this type of restoration but people are now more aware of the value of such properties". He continued "there is more of this work done in Fife than other places, not only because of conservation societies, but because there are some very nice buildings in this part of Fife". The restoration was certainly a great outcome for this significant Largo building.
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Cellar Brae or Cellar Braes is the promontory to the west of Lower Largo Harbour. The map above, which is dated 1843, is one of the few to clearly name the area. Below is a comparison of that map with a recent aerial view of the site. The general layout and many of the buildings remain the same, although some buildings have been lost. The large building closest to the sea has survived and is one of Largo's oldest. Now known as The Net House, pictured further below, this building began life as a salt girnel (store-house) for the adjacent salt works at Drummochy. Dating back to the 1740s, the girnel was a secure building where salt was drained and stored - an essential component of any salt works. Salt was an extremely valuable commodity at this time and a good quality, robust building was needed for secure storage. So, it is thanks to the original function and importance of the building that it has been able to stand the test of time.

With the decline of the salt industry locally in the late 18th century, the building's function had to evolve. For a time, it was used as a granary (separate from the granary on the other side of the harbour, now part of the Crusoe Hotel). The 1932 Largo Village Book states that historically "grain was stored for shipping" at Cellar Braes. However, by the late 19th century, and for many decades, the building and surrounding ground was used to store fishing gear and to dry nets (hence the building's present name of The Net House). There are a few images below that feature nets hung out to dry all around the area.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, salmon stake nets ran out to sea in front of the Net House (see image below). Throughout that time, valuation rolls show that the Cellar building and Lundin Salmon Fishings were owned by Lundin Estate. These facilities were tenanted initially by Andrew Greig Anderson, Edinburgh fishmonger, in the late 19th century and then by  Joseph Johnston and Sons Limited of Montrose (a long-established salmon fishing business with interests the length of the east coast) in the early decades of the 20th century.
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By the mid-1930s, Cellar Braes began to change into more of a recreational space. The Largo Parish Community Council rented the area and organised for benches and a shelter to be put in place for the comfort of those enjoying the views across the harbour. The old path which used to run around the seaward side of the Net House was re-routed to the landward side of the building.  The old path route with its unguarded sea wall was not without its risks, as the ​9 April 1935 Leven Advertiser piece below demonstrates. The man who fell over the edge onto the rocks was staying at 'Westhaven' - a house opposite Cellar Brae (see map further below). In the early 1970s, the now semi-derelict net house building was restored and converted into a private dwelling. The sea wall was heightened for safety.
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As well as being the site of private homes, the Cellar Braes of today continues to offer benches, views and space to relax. The former shelter (seen on map and image above) is long gone but a patch of concrete indicates where this once was.  This multi-functional corner of the village has a rich history. Featured in artworks and offering a fine viewing space for events at the harbour, it continues to be a characterful part of the Largo landscape.

Back in 1903, with Lundin Links rapidly expanding, new street signs were required to name new roads and identify existing streets more formally. An exercise took place to list which names were required, in what quantity and the number of letters involved (which would impact upon cost). The handwritten list below shows the output of that work (including some faint corrections where spelling mistakes were made). Organised by Mr Alexander Fraser the factor of the Lundin and Montrave Estate, most streets required two signs but the shortest streets - Golf Road and Norvil Road - required only one each, while Leven Road and Crescent Road needed 3 each.

The decision was made to go with enamel signage, which was a common choice for street signage between 1880 and 1950. The brochure below was consulted and the option at the top left (item no. 62) was highlighted as a good template. D.F. Wishart & Co, iron merchants of Edinburgh, were engaged to create something similar to this. This firm, established in 1857, are still going today.

Some of the signs were placed on building walls, others on metal railings and one or two on free-standing posts. The images above show examples of each of these. More of the enamel signs are evident in the old photographs below.  
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Of the 29 signs put in place in 1903, only a handful remain today and all of those are on buildings walls. The signs that were on free-standing posts are long gone. Those that were attached to metal railings lost their anchor points during the Second World War, when iron railings were removed in a drive to gather raw materials for the war effort. Some wall-mounted signs were removed when the black and white replacement street signs came along (which are larger and clearer to read).  

The sign at the east end of Emsdorf Street is still there but has recently been painted over. Two Leven Road signs remain - attached to numbers 12 and 54 (the latter being the farthest west that the street extended in 1903, just before where the Montrave Hall is now). One of the Mill Wynd signs is still there, on the former jewellery workshop. Hillhead Street has no sign but the old pin marks can be seen where it once was. If you spot any more examples of the old enamel signs, please comment. They are now well over a century old.
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​Largo's third Arts Week took place 16-24 July 2022 and, like the first event in 2019 and the second in 2021, the weather was (mostly) kind.  With 66 artists exhibiting in 36 open studios, a varied programme of live events and a painting challenge open to all, this was a fantastic community effort and a real treat to visit. The Friday night was a particularly memorable highlight - with an open-air concert for the community at the harbour. Live retro 80s music rocked the pier, echoing far and wide and inspiring spontaneous singing and dancing. And that was only one of three live events taking place that evening, with entertainment on simultaneously at the Upper Largo Hotel and the Aurrie. Many thanks to all involved in making the week happen. It's now part of Largo's history.

It was brilliant to see both the Aurrie and the revamped Crusoe thriving one year on from their respective openings in July 2021. The Largo Bay Art Society also put on a super exhibition in the Montrave Hall. 

​The 2023 Largo Arts Week will take place 15-22 July 2023.

​www.largoartsweek.com/
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Pictured above (circa 1890) is the fishing boat Chance - registration KY 21, which was owned by Andrew Bisset. Andrew was born in 1854 to weaver John Bisset and his wife Paterson Reedie (a former flax spinner). In 1871, a teenage Andrew was working as a linen weaver, like his father and so many other people of all ages in the parish at the time. However, handloom weaving was on the wane, and, by the 1881 census, both Andrew and his younger brother John had become fishermen. [In later years, Andrew's brother, John Bisset, went on to own Downfield and manage the colliery at Teasses.]

One of the regular trips for Largo fishermen in the 1870s and 1880s was Stonehaven (see 30 July 1879 Courier example below). And this was where Andrew met his wife Eleanor (Helen) Taylor. The pair married on 30 December 1882 at St James Episcopal Church in Stonehaven. Andrew was aged 27 and Helen was 24. On the marriage registration form, Andrew was described as a 'white fisher' and Eleanor as a "fish cleaner". Both the bride and groom's fathers were also described as white fishers.

The Chance is mentioned in the above 6 December 1889 East of Fife Record, having returned from Yarmouth with fellow Largo vessels Ocean Bride and Jane and Minnie. At the time of the 1901 census, Andrew Bisset was still a fisherman but these were the last days for many of the Largo deep-sea fishing vessels. By the 1911 census, Andrew's occupation had changed to labourer and the family were living at the Temple (in one of the now-demolished Burnside cottages). The two sons living at home were a labourer and a house painter. By 1915, the Bissets had moved to Burnbrae Terrace, pictured below, where Andrew and Helen would remain for rest of their lives.
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Andrew and Helen's son Andrew, who had been an apprentice house painter with John Adam of Lundin Links, had emigrated down under in 1912. During the First World War, he had joined the Australian Infantry. As part of the 56th Infantry Battalion, he was sent to Europe. In August 1917, he visited his parents in Largo for a few days. However, just weeks later, he was killed in action. He died on 17 October aged 27 and is commemorated on the Menin Gate war memorial in Ypres as well as on the Largo War Memorial.

Eleanor (Helen) Bisset died nine days after her son, on 26 October 1917, aged 59, at Burnside Terrace. It seems that she would not have been aware of her son's death, as news of this did not appear in local press until 15 November (see Leven Advertiser below).  Andrew Bisset senior survived his wife by over 15 years. He died at Burnbrae Terrace on 26 January 1933, aged 79. On the registration of his death, he was described as a 'retired roadman' but in fact he had a range of occupations in his lifetime. Arguably, it was his time as a fishermen that had the biggest impact on his life and of course that of his wife. 
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The image above shows four boats entering the harbour at Aberdeen. Second from the left is the Osprey of Largo, registration KY 977. Two other boats with a KY (Kirkcaldy) registration are on either side of the Osprey. This image features in the book 'Scotland's East Coast Fishing Industry' by Mark I'Anson. Constructed in 1872, at John Watt's boatyard in Dysart, the Osprey belonged to twin brothers William and Robert Gillies, who were still in their 20s at the time. The two newspaper reports below from 25 May that year (Fife Free Press and Fifeshire Advertiser) tell of her launch. The Osprey was a carvel built decked fishing boat of around 45 feet long. Many spectators were present to witness her head-first launch from Sailor's Walk.
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​Below are some images of Dysart Harbour and the Sailor's Walk. Sailor's Walk (also known as High Brae Head) was an elevated walkway above the harbour. Steps were built up to it in 1907. The spot certainly offered a great vantage point for boat launches and other harbour activity.
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The Gillies brothers later also owned the Ocean Bride, which was built for them in 1882, a decade after the Osprey. Both boats are mentioned in the brief newspaper clip below from the 11 July 1889 Fifeshire Journal. On this occasion, the two vessels had to return home after losing many nets to dog fish (an abundant species of shark found in Scottish waters). 

In the clip below from the 13 July 1893 Fifeshire Journal, the Osprey, along with many other local boats were up at Peterhead for the summer fishing. It seems likely that William and Robert would have skippered one each of their boats the Osprey and the Ocean Bride. Other vessels making the same trip included the Annie Johnston, the Forget-Me-Not and Fortunatus.
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The 30 August 1895 East of Fife Record above tells of a "highly satisfactory" trip to Aberdeen, when Skipper William Gillies fared "the best of the local men". It notes that two of his boats were on the trip - one that he was skippering and another which was "out on deal". These would like have been the Osprey and the Ocean Bride. Another Largo fisherman, Thomas Lawrie, owner of the Sultan, also gets a mention in the article. An update in the next week's paper reports on most of the Largo vessels returning home. This piece clarifies that it was the Osprey (the older vessel) which had been "lent out on a deal to a St Monans crew" and explains how individuals with multiple boats might ensure all their vessels are kept busy when they can't secure local crews. In turn a couple of Largo men helped crew a St Monans boat as 'halfdealsmen' (providing the extra hands but no equipment or share in the boat). 

The fishing yawl to the left of the above image is the Annie Johnson. Her registration - KY 478 - can just be made out on the left side. This vessel was launched on 30 March 1880 in Anstruther from the yard of John Alexander Millar. Described by the Fife News on 3 April as "one of the largest and finest fishing craft ever built on the Fife coast". However, this fifty feet long, thirty ton boat was destined to begin life outside of Fife. It has been built for John Pert of Ferryden, Montrose and was given the registration ME 535. The newspaper continued:

"Designed for the cod and ling fishing of the North Sea, she is fitted up with all the latest improvements, so much so that a finer craft of her class does not swim today on the briny wave."
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In 1882, Annie Johnston ran into difficultly when a storm hit Yarmouth. The two-part update in the 28 October Weekly Scotsman (below) reported initially that, of the numerous Scottish boats damaged while fishing there, Annie Johnston was one of two to fail to find shelter. This early report (from the Wednesday afternoon) stated that she was "now lying totally wrecked on Yarmouth beach" and had been laden with herring. But updated news from the following afternoon informs readers that the Annie Johnston had been ashore on the beach and was now "being got off", with the cargo saved.  Subsequently, she must have been repaired and was able to return to service.

On 22 February 1884 there was a change of owner for the Annie Johnston, when James Coull took her over. Five years later on 4 April 1889, James West became her owner but only for a couple of months. On 5 June that same year the Annie Johnston was sold to Largo's David Gillies. Presumably this was 'Fisher Davie' (1836-1923), owner of various vessels over the years, including a smaller boat named Violet. Perhaps the vessel was purchased in time for the Shetland trip mentioned below in the 20 June 1889 Fifeshire Journal. Note that a 'cran' was a measure of fresh herrings, equivalent to 37 and a half imperial gallons (or 170.5 litres). This could vary from around 700 to 2500 fish but on average was about 1200 herring. A cran was roughly four baskets (known as quarter crans) or one barrel.

For several years, Annie Johnston would have been one of the large deep-sea fishing boats operating out of Largo. The piece below from the 10 August 1900 East of Fife Record is one of the last references to her Largo days. It describes how a fishing trip was but short by a severe gale. The next year the vessel would be sold to a buyer in Shetland.
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Above is an unusual novelty postcard sent from Largo during the First World War. The image of warfare seems an odd choice for a holiday postcard, as does the pun 'things are booming at Largo'. However, it was topical and someone saw fit to send it to their nephew.  Here is what was written on the reverse...

Dear Tom, 
We are spending our holiday at Lundin Links this time instead of Largo. Robert does not spend so much of his time at the shore. He is so taken up with the soldiers. There are a lot of them here. I should have written your mother before this but will do so soon. Glad father keeps busy and trust you are all well. Grandma took a bad turn two days ago and gave us a fright but she is feeling better now.
Trust you are all well. With best love from all to all.
I am your loving Aunt Kate.

This message suggests that Robert is a child who is fascinated by the presence of many soldiers around Lundin Links at the time. We know that the Highland Cyclist Battalion had men in Lundin Links and that soldiers were billeted in houses such as Fir Park and St Catherine's. Many of those soldiers would not have survived the conflict. Of the 284 men of Largo Parish that served in World War One, 51 lost their lives and have their names inscribed on Largo War Memorial. 

The postcard has a flap on the front, which conceals a pull-out strip featuring twelve small black and white photographs from around Largo. These include the usual suspects of the Standing Stones, Crusoe Statue, Upper Largo Kirk, Largo Harbour, Kiel's Den and Lundin Tower. Below are two of the less widely-used images, showing Lower Largo from the sands (west and east views).
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The above image clearly shows the bellcote of Largo St David's Church to the right and the old 'Butter's Buildings' to the left of White House. Below is the stretch between the (almost) the Orry to the left and (almost) Cardy House to the right. 

The fishing boat pictured above is the Fortunatus of Largo. This 39-feet vessel belonged to William Davidson Hutton. The image dates to before the fisherman's bothy was built on the pier in 1888. A man can be seen on board in the centre of the boat and there is a huddle of several men on the pier behind the boat. Note also the planks of wood propped up against the wall and what look like wooden crates stacked up to the right. This could well be a scene of the preparations for a fishing trip.
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In 1880 the Fortunatus experienced a tragic event when crew member William Kidd was lost overboard while bound for the herring fishing in Aberdeen. Kidd had been hauling in a rope when the handle he was holding came loose causing him to be thrown into the water. The 1 July Fifeshire Journal report below tells of how attempts to save him proved unsuccessful. William had been married for 3 years to Agnes Smith and they had a two-year-old son Alexander and a younger child, of only three weeks old, named William.
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While the above newspaper report notes the registration of the Fortunatus as KY 1513, other records have it registered as KY 1848. Either the newspaper report is incorrect or there were in fact two boats with the same name both owned by William Hutton, with one perhaps replacing the other. The Fortunatus was one of the fleet of larger Largo fishing boats that made the long trips up north and down south to Yarmouth each year. The 13 July 1893 Fifeshire Journal below reports on its herring fishing trip to Peterhead and Aberdeen, along with the Osprey, Ocean Bride, Sultan, Annie Johnston, Largo Bay, British Queen and Forget-Me-Not. William Hutton was also joint owner, with James Kidd, of the Jane and Minnie, which was built in 1886. James Kidd was the elder brother of the William Kidd mentioned above, who died in 1880 after falling from the Fortunatus.

The name 'Fortunatus' is the Latin for happy, lucky, rich, blessed - an appropriate choice of name for the unpredictable life of the fisherman. William Davidson Hutton was born in 1851 and was one of the more fortunate fishermen, leading a long life. He married Margaret Guthrie in 1874. They had eleven children and celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1924 (see 30 September Leven Advertiser piece below). William died five years later in 1929, at 5 Defoe Place, aged 78. William was a member of Largo Parish Council and the School Board, as well as President of the Largo Harbour Committee.
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The detail of the Erskine Beveridge image above shows the fishing boat Jane and Minnie, registration KY 400, berthed at Largo Harbour in the 1880s while a travelling fair sets up on the pier. She was built at Millar's yard in St Monans for James Kidd and William Hutton of Largo. At 55 feet in length, she would have exceeded the previous largest boat at Largo - the Ocean Bride - by three and a half feet. Pictured soon after her 1886 completion and before the work to install toilet facilities on the pier in 1888, this image dates to that short window of time between the two events. The East of Fife Record of 19 March 1886 below reports on the launch of the Jane and Minnie.

The boat was named after the youngest daughters (at the time) of each owner. James Kidd had a daughter called Jane (born 1883) and William Hutton had a daughter called Wilhelmina (born 1885). James would go on to have another daughter in 1889, also named Wilhelmina - a name generally shortened to Minnie. Naming boats after family members was fairly common practice and, where ownership was joint, a name from each owner's family could be combined.

James Kidd was born in Largo around 1848 and married Lucy Duncan in 1870. William Davidson Hutton was born in Largo in 1851. He married Margaret Guthrie on 18 September 1874. They had eleven children. Sadly, Minnie (born just before the boat's completion) died aged four and a half in 1890 during an outbreak of measles in the village. William had other boats, such as Fortunatus and Welcome (more on them to come in future posts).

Just a couple of weeks after the launch of the Jane and Minnie, she was the last boat to see fellow Largo fishing boat The Brothers shortly before the latter was lost with all hands about 50 miles east of May Isle. The following year, one of the boat's crew "had a narrow escape from drowning" having fallen overboard while up North for the summer herring fishing. The 15 July 1887 East of Fife Record below reported the incident.

Like other large Largo-based fishing boats of the time, the Jane and Minnie followed the seasonal fishing trips of the Lammas drave up north and the Winter herrin' trip south. The 1890 13 November Fifeshire Journal provided an update on the trip south to Yarmouth, where the Jane and Minnie and the Ocean Bride were caught in a storm. The former lost eighteen nets, while the latter came close to losing two men. The two boats had left Largo on 28 September, so this had happened around six weeks into their expedition.

In 1897, the 2 September Dundee Courier (below) noted the return of Largo's fishing fleet home, after a disappointing summer drave. Six boats from a fleet of seven had returned at this point from Aberdeen, including David Ballingall's Forget-Me-Not and Thomas Lawrie's Sultan. This period was really the final few years of Largo having a fleet of large fishing vessels. By 1901, the Ocean Bride was the only one still operating. The death of James Kidd in April 1901 aged 53 years likely hastened the end for the Jane and Minnie. James was survived by his widow, four daughters and two sons. William Hutton passed away in 1929 at the age of 78. He was a member of the Largo Parish Council and the School Board and was actively involved in the Harbour Committee up until his death. He was survived by his widow and grown up family.