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Auld Reekie from Largo

28/11/2018

5 Comments

 
Picture
This wonderful painting by James Riddel R.S.W. (1857-1928), entitled "Auld Reekie from Largo", features the view from an elevated position close to Largo Station looking down over the roof of the Railway Inn to the Net House (surrounded by drying fishing nets) and beyond to Edinburgh. It's an unusual perspective of a familiar place, so to help with interpretation of the painting there is an annotated sketch of the same view below.
Picture
The features numbered above are:

1. The Net House                       2. Demolished House (see below)                      3. Largo Harbour
4. Railway Inn                             5. Station Wynd House                                         6. Bridgend House

The 'demolished house' is the dark coloured one to the left of centre in the background of the George Washington Wilson photograph below. Remains of the old wall can still be seen but the site is now used for sitting and enjoying the view (see present day image below).
Picture
Picture
Returning to the Riddel painting....it featured in the reprint of a book 'Traditions of Edinburgh' by Robert Chambers (published in 1868). Within this book is a reference to the origins of the name 'Auld Reekie', as follows:
​
"This highly appropriate popular sobriquet cannot be traced beyond the reign of Charles II. Tradition assigns the following as the origin of the phrase : An old gentleman in Fife, designated Durham of Largo, was in the habit, at the period mentioned, of regulating the time of evening worship by the appearance of the smoke of Edinburgh, which he could easily see, through the clear summer twilight, from his own door. When he observed the smoke increase in density, in consequence of the good folk of the city preparing their supper, he would call all the family into the house, saying : 'It's time now, bairns, to tak' the beuks, and gang to our beds, for yonder's Auld Reekie, I see, putting on her nicht-cap!'"
5 Comments
John Band
28/11/2018 10:26:45 am

Great painting & photograph. Perhaps the cottage and adjoining building on the road to the former salt girnel (Net House) was once occupied by Mr William Mitchel, Drummochy, salt agent in 1753 and died at Largo 1799, Mr Ebenezer Coutts, overseer at Drummochy salt pans certainly from 1774 and died at Largo in 1822 or the local customs officer?

Reply
Vintage Lundin Links
28/11/2018 10:32:11 am

Could well be....definitely want to find out more about these lost buildings. Being in such a prominent position they must have an interesting history.

Reply
John Band
28/11/2018 10:51:09 am

Yes It is surprising that such perfectly positioned properties became derelict and demolished at some time in the past

Reply
June Henderson
4/1/2019 01:01:08 pm

Wonderful photo, Dora! Interesting to see that some crop (potatoes?) is being grown in the ground, now called the orry, in front of the "demolished house". It looks like there might be a field behind the house, just visible in the triangle between the roofs. Also interesting to see that major work is taking place on the roof of the house to the west of Drummochy House.

I spent some time in the autumn of 2017 trying to work out exactly what these demolished buildings were. The smaller one seems to have no chimneys & the larger one is 3 stories, with chimneys. I looked at the Valuation Rolls for 1890/91 & 1893/94 but it's very hard to identify a specific house. There is mention of a "house, loomshop & garden", £5 12s & I wondered if that could be it, the smaller building being the loomshop. In the 1890s it was occupied by William Balfour, Weaver, later Labourer. Your post of 17 June 2017 has a photo c1926 which shows these buildings had already gone by then. What year do you think the above photo dates from? Many thanks for your excellent blog.

Reply
Vintage Lundin Links
10/7/2019 10:00:17 am

The black and white photo (from the studio of George Washington Wilson) dates to around 1900.

Reply

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