Above is a circa 1900 photograph of some fence building work at Craigie Bank (116-118 Main Street Lower Largo). This image is now part of the University of St Andrews Photographic Collection. To the immediate left in the background is the house now known as 'Friday' (108 Main Street). Then left of that are the now flatted dwellings of Whin Brae (the upper dwelling at number 104) and Bay Nook (the lower flat at 106 Main Street). All of these homes have undergone alterations since the time of the photograph.

The overlay image below puts the photo into the wider context, looking from the sea back at Main Street, with Cardy House out of shot to the right, in a 1940s view.
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Below is the sea-facing side of number 108 in the 1970s (courtesy of Canmore).

Below is the seaward elevation of numbers 104 and 106, showing its circa 1940s extension to the right.

Below are present day images of Whin Brae and Bay Nook from the street-facing side.

The location in the above photograph is most commonly known as The Orry, or sometimes Orra. However, this name is seldom seen in an official written form. There is no name sign there and it tends not to be labelled on maps. It is most often referred to in the spoken word and that has led to fairly wide variation over the years in its spelling.

Although the name probably goes back to at least the 19th century, early written mentions are few and far between. Back in 1939, when the location was designated as a "regulation parking place" by the District Council (see 5 Aug Fife Free Press notice below), the spelling was given as "Awry". 

Now here is a coincidence (pointed out by a blog reader yesterday) the owner of the Eaglesham estate from 1844 was none other than Allan Gilmour, who went on to purchase the Lundin Estate in 1872. Although, Allan Gilmour was not involved in a hands-on capacity locally, his son John was (before and after he inherited Lundin estate). Could Sir John Gilmour (and/or any employees brought over from the Eaglesham estate) have introduced the term 'Orry' to the local population? Or was it already in use in Largo by 1872 (evolving independently from the Scots 'aurrie')? If you know of a reference locally to 'Orry' before 1872 - please comment.

Meanwhile, the local variation in spelling continued over the decades. In 1959, when plans were being formulated for the Sailing Club, the Leven Mail went with the spelling 'Orrey' (see below).
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Once the days of the Largo Children's Gala came - with the regular parade commencing at the Orry - references to the spot became more common in the newspapers. Below are clips from 1975, 1982 and 1983 and all use the name 'Orra'. Orra is a well-known Scots word meaning either 'spare', 'odd' or 'occasional' - with an 'orraman' being an odd job man. It's tempting to think of the space as somewhere historically that odd jobs were carried out. 

However, by 1984 the spelling 'Orrie' was being used instead (see advert below featuring Crusoe from that year). It was still used in 1993 - see further below.
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This street map from 1996 - perhaps the most official reference among this selection - favoured the label 'The Orra'.

To complicate matters further, another name used for the space has been 'Market Square'. The above snippet from the 20 August 1938 Fife Free Press describes how a driver (presumably having picked up speed coming down Durham Wynd) collided with the telephone box at the Orry. The phone box in question is marked on the map below as TCB (telephone call box). Anyway, the 'Market Square' name (connected with fish markets perhaps) seems not to have stuck.
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So, what you do call the Orry? And how would you spell it? Have you heard stories about the origins of the term? Any information would be most welcome. To conclude this lengthy post - an image of The Orry from the beach, looking towards Goodsir House plus a crowd-filled Orry back in 1975 - eagerly awaiting the start of the Gala parade (courtesy of the East Fife Mail).
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One hundred and forty five years ago this week, the 19 February 1875 East of Fife Record round-up of Lundin Mill news begins with a piece about lambs. After a harsh winter, many "early bleaters" had put in appearance. There's also an insight into the weaving trade at the time and then an interesting note on how foxes cache food for later retrieval - in this case on the links. This tiny snapshots of local nature in the past are just lovely and so eloquently written.

Back in 1907 the Leven Advertiser (18 Sept) felt it newsworthy that Jimmie Brown the market gardener at Hatton Law and owner of the Emsdorf Fruit Shop had harvested some strawberries late in the season.
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​Weather was a regular topic of the local news round-ups of old. This one from 26 July 1901 East of Fife Record notes: "Refreshing showers of rain fell on Sunday evening and on Monday forenoon. Pastures and all kinds of crops were suffering much owing to the protracted drought."
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The above snippet combines weather and fruit and enthuses of the "genial spring" and "splendid show of early stuff". This is from the St Andrews Citizen of 27 April 1895. 

On 31 May 1901 the East of Fife Record remarked upon the Spring birds around Dumbarnie Links. 

I'm curious as to how the newspapers received these observations on local nature. Perhaps the Largo Field Naturalists' Society and other like-minded individuals made it their business to ensure that the local press were made aware of such events? Anyway, their attention to detail is appreciated.

Above is a 'before and after' comparison of the signal box at Largo Station. On the left an image captured shortly before the station's closure. On the right the same view not long after closure, when the weeds and vandals had begun to make their mark. The last passenger train ran on 5th September 1965. Goods services were withdrawn on 18th July 1966. The line was officially closed on 18th December that year - although the very last train to run on the line was April 1967.

Below is a shot featuring the British Railways totem with the station name: 'Largo' (in the classic 'hot dog' shape). These station totems (and other signage such as the one on the signal box above) came in a range of colours, all featuring the Gill Sans font. While signs in Scotland were light blue, North Eastern was orange, Great Western Region was brown, the Midland Region was maroon, Southern Region was dark green and Eastern Region was dark blue. This corporate identity was introduced 1948/9 and was replaced in the late 1960s (post the Beeching cuts and too late to apply Largo or Lundin Links Stations). 

The 'lion on wheel' emblem was also introduced in 1948/9 and can also be seen below on the banking among the flowers to the left of the totem sign. It's shown again below post-closure in an abandoned (yet still visible) state some years later. Further below is the official BR emblem upon which it was based.
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Below are some more scenes of dereliction at Largo Station. Firstly, some rather scruffy looking platforms and tracks superimposed on the same scene in better times (taken from the footbridge over the tracks). Next the levers inside the signal box, through broken glass. Finally, an overgrown track-side, looking through the footbridge. Around 1970/71 the Largo Station buildings were demolished. ​

More 'after the closure' photos of Largo Station are here and for Lundin Links Station click here.
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The "iron bridge" footbridge at Lundin Links (seen in the photograph above to the left of centre in the distance) was built in 1896. This was the same year as the opening of the new Lundin Golf Club House (read more about that here and here). Built for the convenience of the golfers and completed in time for the summer season, the bridge allowed easier access to the building from the east side. Previously, safe access was only from Golf Road to the west.

At the time, Lundin Mill only extended as far south as Crescent Road but feuing plans were underway to develop what would become Victoria Road and Station Road (now Links Road). The 1893 map below shows the spot chosen for the bridge. Handily placed for the residents of (and visitors to) Lundin Mill, Drummochy and Lower Largo, the feus around this area were soon occupied. Non-golfers obviously benefited too from the safer access to the beach.

The 1912 map further below, shows the footbridge now situated between Norvil on the right and Victoria Boarding House to the left. Norvil in particular was planned and built just months after the footbridge was erected. This was probably no coincidence, as Norvil was built for seedsman William Watt - a keen golfer (more of that another time). Further below are a series of images featuring the iron bridge, including (at the very end) a still from cine footage taken from the train driver's cab shortly before the line closed in 1965, The road bridge at the top of Drummochy Road can be seen in the distance to the left. Sadly the footbridge was removed in the early 1970s but many still refer to the vicinity around the steps down to the path were it once stood as "the iron bridge".
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Finally, a few shots from the present day of the spot where the old bridge once stood.