VINTAGE LUNDIN LINKS AND LARGO
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Atmospheric Harbour Scene

11/12/2020

3 Comments

 
Picture

The above photograph is part of Historic Environment Scotland's Canmore collection but was originally part of a private collection. It's dated as circa 1890, which tallies with what we can see in the image. Firstly, the image was certainly captured after 1888, as the stone-built "W.C. for the benefit of sailors and fishers" can be seen on the right hand edge below the lamp.  Another clue to the date is the registration 'KY 478' on the sail of the fishing boat on the right. This vessel was sold to Messrs G.R. and W. Jamieson of Shetland in 1901 (see 18 May Shetland Times below) so the image was taken prior to that date.

In the background, under the right hand arch of the viaduct is the old wooden footbridge over the Keil Burn. Different versions of this footbridge existed up until 1914. The photographer has clearly waited for a train to pass over the viaduct before committing to the picture. The engine is a pleasingly old-looking one - reminiscent of a toy train to modern eyes. There a lot of people in the scene, including a group of men taking a rest on the right, a young girl heading for the end of the pier and several men (and possibly boys) congregating around one of the fishing boats. It's not too hard to imagine the smells and sounds that would have accompanied this sight. It's another image that I would love to be able to step right in to!

Picture
3 Comments
JohnBand
11/12/2020 11:46:53 pm

A wonderful photograph, the locomotive on the bridge is a very old type with no fully enclosed driver / fireman's cab. It has NBR on the tender ( North British Railway). Just to the right of the girls head can be seen the stone gable of the Oil Mill refining house, by the publication of the 1912 edition of the O.S. map there is a corrugated iron building butting onto this gable so photo certainly before that date.

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Colin Galloway
16/12/2020 04:22:10 am

Is the fishing boat a Fifie? Perhaps an earlier version of the Fisheries Museum’s Reaper? Made me wonder what the boat’s draft was. Must have been relatively shallow to navigate Largo harbour. Does anyone know if the harbour was dredged at that time?

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John Band
19/12/2020 10:59:45 am

Hi Colin. The harbour was cleaned out once of deep rotten kelp seaweed in the 1970s using a tracked bulldozer with a front bucket, however to actually dredge the bottom sand and silt is not really worth trying as the bedrock / shale is fairly close to the surface. The natural burn flow and in particular a spate following heavy rain usually keeps the harbour clear..

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    This blog is about the history of the villages of Lundin Links, Lower Largo and Upper Largo in Fife, Scotland. Comments and contributions from readers are very welcome!

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