Eighty three years ago today, the snippets above appeared in the Fife Free Press in the local news update for Largo. Both short stories relate to fresh beginnings - the first to the completion of new housing and the second to a the new impending holiday season.  While the replacement of buildings happens rarely, the annual preparation for the influx of holidaymakers was part of the rhythm of life at the time. 

The "old-fashioned corner" of the village referred to in the top news item was a small section of Lower Largo's Main Street known then as 'Butters Buildings'.  James Butters was a weaver/net maker/boatman who had died late in 1934. He (and his parents James Butters and Margaret Gilchrist before him) had owned a few dwellings and a loomshop for many decades, while living opposite at 'Cliff House'.  James senior was a fisherman. He and Margaret had ten children but only  James (1860-1934) survived into adulthood.  

The replacement buildings were built by Walter Horne, who was married to a cousin of James Butters (Agnes Guthrie).  Part of the new construction later ​housed the Cockleshell Cafe. interestingly, the "old red tiles on the roofs" were reused on the new building. Red roof tiles remain there to this day (see photograph below with the buildings in question to the right behind the tree).

The crowded beach scene above is Lundin Links at Massney Braes. Back in the very early 1900s the village was a fashionable "rival to the established and flourishing watering holes of Elie and St Andrews". According to the Dundee Courier (25 June 1903) "the attractions of the neighbourhood continue to draw large numbers each year so that a little town of seaside villas has sprung up on the magnificent feuing ground of Lundin". 

The attire worn by the beach-goers is similar to that worn in photos from a previous blog post at Seaview in Lower Largo - note the wide brimmed hats that children are wearing, the blouse and skirt combination favoured by the ladies and the popularity of smart hats and parasols. Although bigger and fancier hats would be worn in the evenings and for special occasions, the lady in the foreground with her back to the camera (see foot of post) is still wearing a pretty impressive piece of headgear for a day at the beach. 

There are a few beach huts in the dunes to the right of the image. While some folks might have stored their belongings in their own hut, many seem to be at the beach with minimal 'stuff' - no chairs, rugs or picnics. Most were probably staying a stone's throw away at one of the many boarding houses or hotels. There would also have been a good choice of tearooms and places to find refreshment within a few minutes walk. 

In the detailed image below, a row of little sand castles can be made out. There are a couple of people half buried in the sand towards the lower left hand corner. And a group of ladies are enjoying a chat in the centre foreground - I wonder what they were discussing!

The building at the right in the above photograph is 'Craigiebank' or 'Craigie Bank' in Lower Largo. The name is taken from the Craigie family that lived on the site during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Craigies were predominantly hand loom weavers and the plot that Craigie Bank was built upon was probably used as a bleaching green. The last of the family was weaver Janet Craigie, who died unmarried in 1881 at the age of 85. The informant of her death was neighbour and master joiner Andrew Blyth Masterton. The son of weaver George Masterton, by the age of 20 Andrew was a carpenter. It seems likely that Andrew Masterton was involved in the construction of Craigie Bank. He was its first owner and the Mastertons owned the property and others nearby for many decades.

Having married Margaret Thomson of Perthsire, Andrew Masterton's first child, Catherine, was born at 'Marine Villa' (the house immediately east of Craigie Bank) in 1873. By June of 1877, Craigie Bank was advertised for let (see 29 June Scotsman above), as was Marine Villa. So it would appear likely that Craigie Bank was built between 1873 and 1877. 
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In 1881 Andrew Masterton (then described as 'master joiner employing 2 men and 4 boys') was living at Craigie Bank with his wife Margaret and daughter Catherine. Ten years later the three were still recorded as living at Craigie Bank but Andrew was now noted as a 'retired joiner', aged 50. In the 1885 valuation roll Andrew was listed as proprietor of ten properties in Largo Parish - including the Belmont Hotel (perhaps he was involved in building that) and Westhall on Station Road in Lundin Links.

By 1901, all three plus Catherine's husband John Clayton and their infant daughter were at neighbouring 'Craigie Cottage', while Craigie Bank was unoccupied. At this time Andrew was described as 'formerly builder'. By 1911, Catherine and her family had moved to Fort WIlliam but parents Andrew and Margaret were still at 'Craigie Cottage'. Andrew died in 1913 and his widow became proprietor of his properties. In 1920 a number of the houses were advertised for sale (see below from 20 March Scotsman), including Craigie Bank.

Johnston Wright Swan was born in 1859 in Edinburgh - the son of Janet Wright and George Swan (baker and refreshment room owner). In the 1881 the family were at 'John Knox Coffee House' on Canongate (Royal Mile). The coffee house can be seen above to the left of John Knox House itself.  A few years beforehand the establishment had caused some controversy when it was reported that "a vandal of a coffee-house keeper who has taken a portion of the house facing the Tron Church has, in glaring black letters on a white ground, painted "John Knox's Coffee House." (The Graphic, 19 Aug 1876).

Aged 21 by the time of the 1881 census, Johnston - the eldest in the family - was a pastry baker at his father's bakehouse, while 15-year-old brother George was a junior baker there. Following the death of George senior, early in 1887 at Sugar House Close off the Royal Mile, Johnston and George junior took over the family business interests between them. Johnston married Mary Brown Wright later the same year, in Dumfries. In 1891, the pair and their two daughters (Janet and Mary) were living in East Adam Street. 

By 1901, Johnston was described as a 'cook and confectioner' at the 'University Hotel' on Chambers Street. The entries above from the 1902 Post Office Directory show the brothers' various establishments in the capital. Throughout this period, over many years,  Johnston was competing in prestigious bakery competitions including the "Scottish section" of the annual "Bakers' and Confectioners' Exhibition" at the Agricultural Hall in London. An example of the many newspaper accounts of Swan's success is shown below (from 9 Sept 1909 Scotsman). 

The 1911 census found the family living in Priorwood House - a Georgian country house in Lasswade, while running multiple business premises in Edinburgh. In 1913 daughter Mary Wright Swan married Hugh Percival (Inspector of the Poor in Largo) and they lived at East Rose Villa in Lundin Links. Once their daughter was firmly settled in Lundin Links  and the once the Swans had sold a number of their business interests in Edinburgh, Johnston and Mary Swan also moved to the village. 

They ran the Victoria Boarding House in Lundin Links from circa 1923. At that time it incorporated a bake house.  Then around 1928 they purchased Bellville on Emsdorf Street and soon set up the shop in the front of this house. It would seem that the bakery element of their Lundin Links business interests shifted from Victoria Road to Emsdorf Street and the boarding house was styled more as a hotel. The hospitality at Swan's Victoria Hotel must have been quite something - with a baker/confectioner/cook/restaurateur at the helm. And his talents did not end there, for Mr Swan was also a musician. The article below from the 4 Feb 1928 Courier tells of him entertaining as a one-man band!

The image above by Valentine of Dundee was published in a 1946 tourist guide to Leven, Largo and Elie. Taken from an upper window of Elmwood boarding house in Lundin Links, the photograph showcases the putting green, tennis courts and football pitch. Note the worn grass around the goal mouth of the pitch - showing that it was well used. Also there is what appears to be a vendor (perhaps of ice-cream and other refreshments) set up between the three facilities wearing a long white apron. Largo Law can be seen in the distance but even more prominent is the bastion of trees at Fir Park.

The above photograph, dating from the 1890s, has been shown here before, in one of the very first posts on this site in 2013. However, it's worth revisiting now that the site has a larger audience and more related information. The top version is a scan of the original photograph, while the lower image is a cleaned up version. The photographer was James Gay of Elie.

He was born in 1849 in Crail, the son of a farm grieve. He spent many years in the army as a young man, including time in India. Around 1890 he settled in Elie, setting up a photography business.  In 1897, at the age of 47 he married Elizabeth Wilson of Pittenweem. He became a town councillor in Elie in 1901 and a Bailie in 1905. After suffering poor health for a number of years, James (pictured below) died in 1922, aged 72.

The subject matter is a busy scene of summer visitors enjoying putting on Crescent Road, on the present site of Lindisfarne/Glenartney. The building on the left comprises 'Fir Park' and 'Braddan', while the house on the right is 'Elphinstone'. Note also the gable end of the old Lundin Links Hotel (inn) on the extreme left in the distance with the double chimney (and the trees of the Fir Park). This era saw growth in summer visitors which resulted in the building of several new boarding houses and the opening of the new Lundin Links Hotel. It was a time of 'smoking concerts', sea bathing and sporting pursuits.

This spot is one of several where golf or putting has been played over the decades. Putting once took place at Station Road and also at Victoria Road.  There used to also be a small putting area at the Lundin Ladies Golf Course close to the first tee. At the foot of the post is a close-up of the late Victorian putting action.

The previous post recalled the presence of the Highland Cyclist Battalion at Lundin Links during the First World War. From the beginning of the war, the main billets (ie lodging places for soldiers) for the HCB were St Catherine's and Fir Park. With St Catherine's being situated on the corner of Victoria Road and Station Road (extreme right in above image) and Fir Park being on the corner of the parallel Crescent Road (left of centre above), officers staying at Lindisfarne (positioned between the two - behind the street light in above picture) could easily observe both places.

However, on 12 February 1916, there was an unfortunate turn of events. The incident was sensationalised in the Fifeshire Advertiser (19 February) which asserted that "thrill after thrill was served out to the staid resort of Lundin Links on Saturday night, one villa being razed to the ground, and another having a narrow escape". To begin the tale....at around 9pm, a sentry went to an upstairs room within St Catherine's while all the other men were out (either on duty or on leave) and found it full of smoke. The Scotsman of 14 February gives the following account:

"The guard were called out, and attacked the fire, which had started in the parlour, the only place where a fire was kept. At this stage the flames were confined to the floor and had evidently risen from a cinder which had fallen from the grate.  Immediately after, however, the flames passed along the joists into another room in which the furniture of the villa was stored. There the fire burned fiercely."  

The Fifeshire Advertiser added:

"P.C. Flaws and other local men joined the military; fire extinguishers were secured from Mr Ferguson's and Mr Somerville's, and an increased attack was made. By some means the window in the parlour was broken; the wind got hold of the flames....and at once the place flared up like a pine torch."

The Buckhaven Fire Brigade were called. Unfortunately, their engine was under repair and they had to bring their apparatus in Messrs Smith and WIlliams' motor car. Moreover, once on the scene, they found that "the stand-up pipe would not fit the local hydrant" and so the motor car had to return to Leven to fetch alternative equipment. It was not until the arrival of the Kirkcaldy Fire Engine that "the real attack on the pile" began.  Under the direction of Firemaster Rough, the roof was cut and a curtain of water was employed to keep the flames from spreading to adjoining villa (Aird Bank). The Fifeshire Advertiser further noted that "Captain French had earlier in the evening caused the removal of a large quantity of explosives from St Catherine's but continual minor explosions told of cartridges going off" and "the fire was visible over a wide area and attracted a great crowd."

While the fire was at its height, about 11pm, another alarm was raised - Fir Park was also in flames. The Fifeshire Advertiser noted "this outbreak took place in a northern room, presumably from the same cause. Happily, it was caught before the wind caught hold of the flames.  All furniture was removed but the soldiers and firemen, pulling up the floor, soon got the mastery." The evening concluded thus: "St Catherine's fire virtually ate itself out. The bare walls were left when, at 1am, it could be said that the fire was under. St Andrews Fire Engine, drawn by two horses, arrived at about midnight; but the hose was not uncoupled."

Built in 1896, St Catherine's at the time of the fire was owned by the Misses Dickson (three of the daughters of Edinburgh master gun maker John Dickson) and consisted of three public rooms, six bedrooms plus kitchen, scullery, etc. It can be seen above with its twin pair to the left of St Margaret's and Mount Vernon. Fir Park was owned by postmistress Margaret Bremner. Damage at the gutted St Catherine's was estimated at £1500 while Fir Park's damage was around £50. Looking at St Catherine's today, it is easy to spot the parts of the original architecture that were lost. The red roof ridging and decorative eaves, seen on its counterparts, are absent (see below).

From around 1928 until 1955, the 'Golf View Hotel' on Station Road in Lundin Links (now Links Road) was run by the MacLean family. Originally built in 1907 for John George Gerrard, the building became the twin boarding houses of Linksfield and Roseneath before changing guise to the Golf View Hotel. The MacLeans came from Gairloch in Wester Ross originally and as well as running the hotel in Lundin Links for 27 years, had the Maitland Hotel on Shandwick Place in Edinburgh for a spell. ​One member of the hotel-keeping family, John MacLean, died tragically on 11 October 1943 when he drowned in Largo Bay, and was found on the shore at Lundin Links, aged 45. His sisters and brother continued in the business. Below are some adverts from the period.

After being advertised for sale or let in 1955, the building is barely mentioned until 1964, when it opened as an eventide home, having been purchased by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church (more on that in the next post). 

Below is the hotel in a wider view, with the 'flower gardens' (also known as 'Mrs Nisbet's Garden') in the foreground. Barbara Frances Nisbet (shown in the inset photograph) had a key role in the beautification of this area which was opposite her house, 'Beffens'.

The tennis courts couldn't be any busier in this circa 1930s view captured from a upper window of Ravenswood boarding house. Perhaps there was an organised tournament going on, as there are doubles matches in play on almost every court and other people waiting or the sidelines. Or perhaps it was always this busy during the heyday of the summer season! The players look very well turned out in their tennis whites. The bowling green (which was opened in 1905) is also being well used.

The close-up short below highlights how well-maintained the facilities are and clearly picks out the old tennis pavilion to the left of the courts. Note also the Gardener's Cottage of Homelands behind the pavilion on the left, partially obscured by trees. There is a greenhouse attached to this house and I imagine at this time the extensive gardens of Homelands would have been extremely well-kept and productive.

The black and white house in the right foreground above is what is now know as Peacehaven, at the junction of Links Road and Victoria Road in Lundin Links. However, at the time that the image above was captured, this building was newly built and comprised a pair of symmetrical villas known as 'Roseneath' (closest to camera) and 'Linksfield'. Built in 1907 for Edinburgh furrier,  John George Gerrard, during their construction they were referred to as 'Mr Gerrard's Villas'. 

Both were unoccupied at the time of the 1911 census, which took place on 2 April that year. Gerrard seems to have built the villas as an investment and they were let out, mainly in the summer months, initially. The advert below dates from 3 July 1915 (Scotsman) and shows Roseneath and Linksfield at the top of a list of houses for summer let. Note that Somerville the grocer acted as agent along with Post Office (Miss Bremner). 

Further adverts below from 1912 and 1917 respectively (below) detail the number of rooms and the facilities available, while emphasising the good location of the houses - close to the station, beach and golf course.

John Gerrard died unexpectedly in 1916 while in Chester. Although his firm continued to manage the villas in the short term, they were soon sold to a Crieff businessman. By 1930, the building had changed guise to the 'Golf View Hotel' and by 1937 it was advertising an "extension" (see advert below from 10 April Scotsman).  

In 1955 the owners of 27 years advertised the let of the Golf View Hotel (see Courier advert from 25 March below) and within a few years the hotel became the residential home that we know now.