Lundin House - the main mansion on the Lundin Estate - was almost completely demolished in 1876. The tower was left standing and is still a local landmark. A lesser-known building that still stands (albeit as a ruin) is the Doocot or Dovecot that served Lundin House. It is listed on the 'Buildings at Risk Register':

www.buildingsatrisk.org.uk/details/908010

A doocot is a structure full of pigeon holes for housing doves or pigeons, which were historically an important source of food. Early Scottish doocots were a beehive shape but a 'lectern' style with a mono-pitched roof became more common from the late 16th century. These structures continued to be built well into the 18th century (when the Lundin one is thought to date from), with some becoming quite decorative in style. The Lundin House Doocot is gothic in style - a style which can also be seen at Eglinton in Ayrshire (see below)

The doocot can been clearly seen on the 1854 map below of Lundin House (prior to the demolition). The longer building to the north east of the dovecot housed the kennels. Lamont's Diary shows evidence of a dovecot at Lundin House in the 1660s, although that would have been an earlier structure. The images further below show the dovecot (front and rear) still roofed and in much better condition in the 1970s (source RCHAMS). It's too bad that this interesting little building has not been maintained. ​If you know any more about this structure - please comment!

A new website called 'Swooping Eagle' has been created, containing lots of information regarding the 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade, including their time at Largo. Of particular interest is a page about Largo House, which includes a wonderful photograph of some Polish soldiers standing on the steps of the house during the Second World War:

www.swoopingeagle.com/home/largo-house/two-mansions/

Also there is a page detailing the training grounds at Largo House, known as 'Monkey Grove':

http://www.swoopingeagle.com/home/largo-house/the-monkey-grove/

And - perhaps most exciting of all - the precise location of the jumping tower using for parachute jump training, at Lundin Tower has been identified!

http://www.swoopingeagle.com/home/largo-house/parachute-tower/

Although the jumping tower has been written about on this blog some time ago (click here), it was not known to me that evidence of its position still existed. The location was found by the author of the 'Swooping Eagle' website with the help of a painting done by renowned war artist Edward Bawden, who had spent time with the Brigade in 1943. Bawden was an established commercial illustrator and designer in England when he became one of the first Official War Artists to be appointed in 1939, at the age of 36, He spent almost the entire war abroad but in 1943 had a spell on home soil, primarily at Largo and Colchester.​ His illustration of the jumping tower is shown below (source: 'Edward Bawden: War Artist' edited by Ruari McLean, in association with the Imperial War Museum (1989)).

The concrete base of the tower remains, below vegetation, and its outline can be clearly distinguished. The images below are from the 'Swooping Eagle' site. I would like to thank the researcher behind the discovery for his persistence and hard work and for creating such a detailed and interesting website.

The 'Swooping Eagle' site also shows the training tower in relation to the doocot on the Lundin Estate - more to follow on that building.

Largo Bay and its towns and villages have been captured by many an artist over the years. Discovering an old painting of the area is always fascinating, particularly if its old enough to include features that are long gone. The above watercolour is taken from just outside Leven, looking east to Largo Law and Lundin Links.  A very familiar view but this time framed by the drying fishing nets. Dating to the late nineteenth century, this was a time when salmon net fishing was carried on in the bay. The nets extended from the shore far into the sea on stakes. By all accounts the fortunes of the salmon fishermen fluctuated widely over the years. However, 1870 seems to have been a good year as the 14 July Fife Herald notes below.

The second painting below - by the same unknown artist - features the old mill at Lower Largo, framed by an arch of the viaduct. A degree of artistic license has been used here, as there were actually two, rather than three, rows of windows on the main building. However, it captures the essence of the site as it used to be.

William Moscrip was born in 1883 in Edinburgh to parents originally from Selkirkshire. His mother died while he was an infant and his joiner father remarried. By the age of 17 he was working as an insurance clerk in the capital. However, his career path changed to engineering and he found employment with Edinburgh constructional engineers 'Redpath, Brown and Co'. In 1915, he moved to Leven to take charge of the 'National Steel Foundry' at Kirkland. Under his direction, the firm navigated its way through some difficult years and found prosperity. Upon his death the Dundee Evening Telegraph put this down to "his energy, his efficient business methods and a sound practical knowledge".

In 1926, Moscrip had a villa erected in the expanding village of Lundin Links, on the west edge of Leven Road. The house was 'Duddingston House' (see image), built to a design by Leven-based architect Andrew Haxton (also responsible for the Troxy cinema in Leven). On 2 June, the Leven Mail reported, under the headline "Creeping Westwards", that...

"We are glad to see mallet and chisel are kept engaged in Lundin Links. Another fine villa is in course of erection at the west end for Mr Moscrip, one more step towards Leven. We wonder when Leven will begin to reciprocate by a building boom from Scoonie."

In fact, around the same time, Haxton also designed 'Stanely', slightly further west on the other side of Leven Road for Victor Donaldson, Leven timber merchant. It is not dissimilar in style to Duddingston House.

Moscrip (pictured above) had many interests outside of his work. He loved music and was responsible for the revival of the Leven Town Band, which he led for many years. Also a keen sportsman, he particularly enjoyed football and became involved with East Fife Football Club, first as a director and then as chairman between 1930 and 1937. He even became an executive of the S.F.A.. Golf was another pastime and he was a committee member at Lundin Golf Club.

​William Moscrip died on 10 March 1937, from complications resulting from a cold, caught after attending a performance by the Leven Amateur Musical Association. The illness affected his heart and he passed away at Duddingston House aged 52. He was survived by his wife Mary. Moscrip was succeeded at the National Steel Foundry by Robert Hamilton, who resided at 'Haworth' (also on Leven Road in Lundin Links). 

The above image of Largo Station is from the North British Railway Study Group's photographic collection. It is undated but looks to be from the inter-war period. The station masters during this era were William Simpson (circa 1902 to 1920), James Young (1920-29), Peter Low (1929-1935) and Alexander Thomson (1935-40). The detail below shows the Durham Hall (originally a school) in the left background and a carriage in the sidings.

​Note also the advertising around the station. There is an advert for The Scotsman newspaper above the Largo sign, a Tennent's Lager sign on the fence and a poster for Ely Cathedral on the side of the station building. Ely Cathedral is in Cambridgeshire - I wonder whether any locals were inspired to go and visit it? And was there a poster for Largo put up somewhere down there?

As one of the few examples of a larger industry and significant employer in Largo Parish, David Gillies Net Manufacturer holds a special place in local history. It's great that such a vibrant and attractive advertisement for the business was commissioned back in the 1880s. It not only depicts the works in great detail but also shows us how Gillies wanted the business to be portrayed....as a busy and successful enterprise, closely connected to the traditional fishing industry yet with modern facilities and close to the railway.

The central image (enlarged below) is an illustration of the whole site - comprising the factory on the right, Gillies's own home (Cardy House) at the top, Cardy Cottage on the left and the bowling green in the centre. The net factory was originally smaller than shown below and was extended north some years after its 1867 construction. Note the distinctive fish-shaped roof vents which can be seen on the factory roof.

The creation of this poster and other printed materials eg trade cards was essential to promote the business. Gillies had attended the International Fisheries Exhibition in Edinburgh in 1882, along with his employees (see illustration). No doubt events such as this would have highlighted the need to properly promote the company.

The poster was probably created around 1885. Further detail from the artwork can be seen below - including a traditionally clad fisher woman and man. The woman is pictured with an east coast style creel. Solidly woven at the sides with an accompanying 'skull' (a circular frame basket that sat on top of the creel) this was all made of salt water resistant cane. When full these could weigh up to 55kg and a head strap was used in order to support the weight.

Of course, we now know that the business declined not long after the creation of the poster. However, the illustration continues to be enjoyed as a piece of art in its own right.

A previous post has shown an ice-cream van awaiting customers at Massney Braes by the beach at Lundin Links. The above image appears to show the same van but from a different angle on a different day. Probably dating to the early 1930s, there is plenty going on in the picture, so a couple of zoomed in images are shown below. The first image below shows the ice-cream van in more detail on the right. While on the left is a kind of stage - perhaps used by occasional performers (note also the lady reading a newspaper on the sand below this).  Also clearly visible is the old road bridge over the railway line, which was removed in 1970.

The second detailed image at the foot of this post, shows the former joiner's workshop in the upper right (originally the saltworks panhouse). Also visible are the old public toilets (long since demolished) - the white square building with castellated roof just left of centre in front of the trees. All in all there was more in the way of amenity and activity in this spot back then and during this era a bathing pool was very nearly built at the site too.