For over two centuries the pier at Largo harbour has been integral to the local community. The manner in which it has been used has been adapted over the decades, in order to meet the changing needs of the community. From the early days of trading and commercial use, to its key role in the local fishing industry, and from acting as a point of departure and arrival for travellers, as well as providing a setting for entertainment and leisure - the pier's functions have been many and varied. Here are just a few examples of its usage...
 
https://lundinlinks.weebly.com/blog/steamers-at-largo
 
https://lundinlinks.weebly.com/blog/pier-pavilion-over-the-years
 
https://lundinlinks.weebly.com/blog/pack-out-at-the-pier
 
https://lundinlinks.weebly.com/blog/fairs-and-festivals
 
https://lundinlinks.weebly.com/blog/1819-stone-masons-at-largo-pier

https://lundinlinks.weebly.com/blog/hotel-and-granary-paintings
 
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However, the future of the pier is at great risk if action is not taken quickly to address serious structural issues. There have been positive developments towards restoration work lately and here is the latest message from the 'Largo Communities Together' group:

You can help raise money for the LARGO PIER RESTORATION by donating online here on our JustGiving page.
 
JustGiving sends your donation straight to LARGO PIER RESTORATION and automatically reclaims Gift Aid if you are a UK taxpayer, so your donation is worth even more.
 
We are looking to raise £15000 to fund the following next steps towards the restoration of Largo Pier;

• £2000 for trial pits to be dug to ascertain rock conditions under the pier
• £3000 for a fund to cover inevitable winter damage repairs
• £10000 to produce a Stage 3 submission which will be required when we apply for major grant funding

 
If you wish to know more about our restoration plans, please visit the Largo Pier page on the LCT website here.

Thank you for your support!
 
Largo Communities Together

In fact work has already begun on the trial pits - see photo below from the community Facebook page.

Please consider giving what you can to support this work. A reminder of the key links below:

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/LargoPierRestoration?invite=true

​www.largocommunitiestogether.org.uk

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Thank you!

The previous post looked at the summer visitors to Largo in 1875. The list back then was fairly long but nothing in comparison to later lists such as the 1910 example below. Of course between 1875 and 1910 many changes had taken place in the villages. The feuing of Lundin Links had taken off around the turn of the century. The parade of shops had become established on Leven Road. Many of these shopkeepers made a point of advertising in the local paper right alongside the list of visitors - including Miss Bremner at the Post Office, Douglas the Butcher and Lindsay's Grocer. David Lindsay also had a boot and shoe warehouse that catered for the holiday makers with footwear "for seaside, golf, bowling, tennis".

In 1875, Lundin Mill had 13 houses listed as occupied by summer visitors. By 1910 there were 95 including many multi-occupancy boarding houses and the Lundin Links Hotel. A number of leisure facilities had been laid on by 1910, including tennis courts, a bowling green and the Montrave Hall. The Lundin Golf Club was long-established but flourished with the increase in summer visitors. Many regular visitors were also members of the club. Lundin Ladies Golf Club moved to its current location around this time and no doubt was well-used by many of the holidaymakers too. 

Meanwhile in Lower Largo, the list had also lengthened by 1910 (though less dramatically) from 33 to 46. Notable developments there since 1875 included Rock View, Beach House and Edina View on the sea-side of Main Street, as well as new properties on the seafront by the Orry such as Sunnyside.  Shops here also took the opportunity to advertise, including John Nicoll the grocer and Armit the boot maker (offering sand shoes and canvas shoes).

​Edinburgh and Glasgow were definitely the main sources of visitors. All houses listed now had names - none were described as 'Mrs So-and-so's', as had been the case in 1875. With so many return visitors each year, one benefit of these lists was that families could see who else was staying and reunite with acquaintances made in previous years.

For many decades a list of the summer visitors to Largo was published in the local papers. The above is an early example from the 20 August 1875 East of Fife Record. Compared with later years, this list was relatively short. Later examples were more extensive - once the boarding houses and 'marine villas' of Lundin Links had built around the turn of the century and several developments had taken place in Lower Largo. Nevertheless, even in the 1870s, both Lower Largo and Lundin Mill were known as sea-bathing destinations. The extract below from the 1877 Worrall's Directory speaks of the "considerable number of handsome villas at Lundin Links which are let out to families in the bathing season." These were the early developments at Crescent Road and close to the station.

The list above indicates that the majority of visitors came from Edinburgh - a trend started by the steamers that ran in the early 19th century and accelerated by the arrival of the railway in 1857. However, during this era it was also common for visitors to come to Largo from the inland Fife towns and villages such as Cupar and Auchtermuchty, seeking some sea air and bathing. Some properties are named (such as Viewforth, Marine Villa, Craigie Bank, Goodsir House, Sea View, Drum Lodge and Murree Lodge) while others are recorded by the proprietor's name (e.g. Mrs Davie, Mrs Butters and Mrs Clunie). 

One of the visitors mentioned in the 1875 visitors' list is T.C. Glover at Bombay Cottage. Also known as Bombay Lodge, this property was at the Temple and was owned by well-known civil engineer Thomas Craigie Glover (pictured inset). He owned the property during the 1860s and 1870s and named it after the part of India where he had lived for a long spell and where some of his children had been born. 

His obituary below from the 16 July 1904 St Andrews Citizen tells his interesting life story - from his birth in Leith, to his training as a civil engineer, spell in America and three decades in India where he directed many large engineering projects, including railways, Bombay docks and a huge dam at Tansa. He frequently returned to Scotland for holidays and owned a fine yacht.

He eventually retired to Earlsferry, where he purchased Earlsferry House and became Provost of the place. There is a Glovers Wynd named after him in the village. You can read more about his time there here:

http://www.eliehistory.com/explore/earlsferry-house-part1/
http://www.eliehistory.com/explore/earlsferry-house-part-2/
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He sold Bombay Lodge in 1877, with its five bedrooms, coach house and stable, croquet lawn and vegetable garden (see 1 June East of Fife Record advert at foot of this post). 

In days gone by some of the smallest events found themselves being reported on the pages of the local newspaper. Examples of such stories have been shared here before but here are a few more. Above is from 13 June 1901 Leven Advertiser, covering the tale of some very early new potatoes no less.
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The above from 5 April 1873 Fifeshire Advertiser relays the tale of a servant girl that disturbed a sleeping fox.

Remarking upon the weather was another favourite of the local press in the past. In the 7 July 1909 Leven Advertiser, it was "a sharp peal of thunder" and torrential rain that merited reporting upon. Meanwhile, a mild winter and early spring earned mention below in the ​25 February 1851 Fifeshire Journal.

The two pieces below, from the Fifeshire Journals of 9 September 1847 and 16 August 1855 respectively, speak of harvest-time, with its heavy yields and favourable weather.
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​A winter's story of frost and "jolly curlers" graced the 29 December 1853 Fifeshire Journal.

​Back to Springtime and on 1 April 1852 the same newspaper comments below upon the early sighting of butterflies between Largo and Lundin Mill.

Finally, in slightly more recent times (13 Oct 1936 Leven Advertiser) a less gentle story below of graffiti on the Serpentine Walk - at odds with the usual peaceful country tales. I wonder what exactly was daubed on the trees?

The postcard scene above, from the Valentine's series, has much going on within it worth comment. It can be dated to between 1911 (when the flat roof was created on the seaward end of the Crusoe Hotel) and 1914 (when the postcard was sent). A huge Union Jack flag can be seen flying from the hotel's flag pole. The tide is fairly high and there are fifteen boats within shot - a mixture of working vessels and pleasure craft. A couple of rowing boats appear to be setting off via the channel between the pier and the Lundies (the rocks to the right of the pier). 

Below we can see a woman in what is probably the uniform of a domestic servant or nanny - black dress, white apron and white lacy cap. Whether she is in charge of the boy to the right is unclear. The road surface is rough and uneven, and the obstacles in the shape of mooring posts, ropes and baskets are many. Cart wheel tracks can just about be made out rounding the corner past the Railway Inn onto Main Street.
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​The other area of zoomed in detail below shows the structure and surface of the pier in good detail. There are several mooring posts and some evidence of fishing gear. People including a boy plus a dog are enjoying watching the hubbub of the harbour. Also notable are the long wooden poles and laddered 'A' frame structures piled up against the harbour W.C. wall. Perhaps someone can comment on how these would have been used?  

All in all, I love this atmospheric scene and only wish I could step back in time and walk through it - taking in the sights, sounds and smells!