Above is a 'then and now' comparison of the corner of Hillhead Street and Emsdorf Crescent in Lundin Links. The top image features the former shop, as it was in the 1940s, during the tenure of James Terris Turbayne. He was proprietor from 1920 into the 1950s. The ground floor was in fact two shops - the grocer to the right, and the fruit and confectionery shop to the left, each with its own entrance. Previously, the corner shop had been David Lindsay's grocery and the smaller shop had been the chemist belonging to Peter Cowie.

The black and white postcard image is entitled "St Helen, Lundin Links", as this is the name of the home above the shops. The upstairs dwelling was built above a pre-existing single-storey shop during David Lindsay's time. Helen was the name of the mother of David's wife, Isabella Horne. The Lindsays also had a daughter named Helen (known as Nelly) who died in 1901 aged 12. A further dwelling behind the shop was named Nellfield.

The building set back to the right of the shop was likely the original stable and cart shed connected with the business, at a time when grocery deliveries were fulfilled by horse and cart. By the Turbaynes time, the shift to motor vans had taken place and one can be seen in the 1940s image. The advert for Turbayne's below states "orders called for and delivered daily by motor van".

Round to the right of the front door to the grocer shop is an external sign for the Woodburn Laundry (for which Turbayne was an agent). Above is an advert for the same from 30 March 1935 St Andrews Courier. This facility was in St Andrews and boasted "open-air drying - right on sea front". Below is a photo of the actual laundry, adjacent to the Lifeboat Station at St Andrews (image courtesy of University of St Andrews, Special Collections). 

Close inspection of the Turbayne postcard photograph shows that there is a person tucked in at the left side of the motor van and that a selection of wines and spirits are on display in the shop window facing the van. The crates and boxes stacked up outside the shop may have just been taken out of the van, ready to restock the shop shelves. The person doing the unloading appears to be hiding from the photographer.
​

The two adverts below illustrate the range of wines and spirits that were stocked by James Turbayne once he had secured his license in Lundin Links. He also stocked soft drinks such as the aerated waters produced by Leven based Christopher Adamson.

The previous post covered the life of Largo-born Alexander Ballingall, who spent most of his working life as an acclaimed artist in Edinburgh. Alexander and his elder brother engraver William Ballingall were well-known for their artistic accomplishments. However, these were not the only creative members of the family. John Ballingall their younger brother was also an accomplished painter, although art was not his main occupation. John worked in Largo as a cork cutter. The above artwork entitled "Entering Port" is an example of his work. It features Largo Harbour and Pier and several fishing boats. Like his brother Alexander, John frequently opted to portray marine and fishing scenes.

John was born in 1859, the ninth of the ten children of weaver and amateur astronomer William Ballingall senior and his wife Jane (Jean) Wilson. While the majority of his siblings moved away to Edinburgh for work, John remained in Lower Largo. At the time of the 1881 census, John was a journeyman cork cutter (perhaps having learned the trade from one of the other local cork cutters in Largo such as Edward Johnston or John Edmonson Miller) and the only of the siblings living at home with his parents. As a cork cutter, he likely had close ties with both the fishing community and the net factory.

In 1883, John married Annie McIntosh in Edinburgh and she joined him in Largo. The first of their eight children, William, was born the following year but he sadly died aged just two and a half. By the time of the 1891 census, there were four children in the household and John's occupation was described as 'cork manufacturer'. At this time, the family were living in part of Goodsir House. 
​

Although John had probably always painted, it was during the 1890s that John's artwork received more attention. Several of his known paintings date to this decade - for example the work "Sailing Boats at Moonrise" above is clearly dated 1894.
It was also in 1894 that John featured in the newspapers when a message in a bottle he had set off on the sea at Largo on 22 November 1893 washed up five weeks later in Norway. Mid-November 1893 had brought the worst storms for many a year to the east coast and loss of life had been great (well over 200 persons). John had reflected upon the disaster with his young sons and had decided to send off a letter, along with his card and instructions for the finder. He was also moved to offer a watercolour painting with proceeds donated to the Lifeboat Institution, who had saved many lives during the storm. Full details are below, from the 20 January 1894 St Andrews Citizen. Note that the bottle has been corked and wrapped in cork. 
​

John's role as an artist must have flourished, as the notice below from the 7 January 1897 Leven Advertiser below tells of the exciting news that he had moved to "new and commodious premises opposite the U.P. Church" where there was a large exhibition room for his oil and water-colour paintings. This premises was at Forthview Place in the part which would later become the Leven Reform Co-operative Society shop. In 1898 he also had a seascape displayed at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh.

The previous five blog posts have charted the history of the Lundin Links Hotel, from its 1900 opening to the more modern era of the 1960s. The years from the 1970s to the present day will remain fresh in the memories of many, if you have your own memories or photos that you would like to share, and add into the archive of the hotel's history, please do get in touch, either by commenting on this post or hitting the 'contact' link on the sidebar (or footer on mobile version of site). The black and white images of the hotel above and below date to the mid-1970s and belong to the Canmore collection of Historic Environment Scotland. J.W. Mathison was still in charge at the hotel at this time. He advertised Christmas Dinner in 1975 at £2.50 plus VAT per head. A night's accommodation was £5.25 for a single room and £8 for a double.
​

Above is a typical advert for the hotel from 1980, setting out the entertainment for the week ahead. A mix of private functions, music nights, high teas and bar lunches would have been typical of the time. The price of £1.75 for a full supper with live music sounds like a good deal. Early in the 1980s the Jurecki family, who also had several other local businesses in both Lundin Links and Lower Largo over the years, ran the hotel. The adverts below date to 1982 and you can see the 'under the care of M. J. & R. Jurecki' note on all of these. Also notice the reference to 'our new Papillion Restaurant' and the 'Double L'.
​

​A longer spell of ownership occurred between 1991 and 2002 when Ian Ladd and Lyn Barron-Ladd owned and managed the Lundin Links Hotel. Stating that they wished to appeal to both local clientele and those from further afield, in 1992, they embarked upon an extensive facelift for the property. The ground floor was redesigned to create a new restaurant and to double the size of the bar area - which was renamed the 'Side Door Bar', following a naming contest. A dance floor, CD juke box and pool table were installed. The reception area was moved and a new replica arched doorway was created by John Donaldson the joiner. The images below, which appeared in a full-page advert in the East Fife Mail, illustrate the changes. The downstairs restaurant initially specialised in Tex-Mex food.

​The final owners, from 2010, were Claire and Martin White. The hotel finally closed its doors in January 2014. ​It was incredibly sad to see the hotel slowly deteriorate over the years that followed. Without wishing to dwell on recent events, the final photographs below show the hotel boarded up and then its remains after the fire that took place on 17 August 2022 (and before the demolition which began on 1 September and was carried out by Austin Wilkinson Demolition). A distinctive landmark for almost a century and a quarter, the hotel may now be physically gone but the good times that it provided will live long in the memories of a great many people.
​

The 1950s (covered in the previous post) seemed to be a decade of glamour and success at the Lundin Links Hotel. The Sixties began on a strong footing and in fact an annexe building was required to cope with demand for rooms. Mr and Mrs Muriset had purchased Glenairlie on Crescent Road around 1950 as their home and several years later they were able to buy Bourtree Brae House next door. As the image below shows, the house was within sight of the hotel and only a short stroll away. 

​The hotel produced a promotional pamphlet highlighting the enviable location on Largo Bay - "a veritable Scottish Riviera" - which had "been compared to the Bay of Naples". Both the cuisine and the wine cellar topped the list of features within the hotel itself - "some very fine vintages". New baths had been installed and the "latest type of bedding". Aside from the bedrooms, there were two "delightful, restful lounges" and a ballroom and recreation room. Heating was a mix of real fires, electric fires and radiators. Other services available included the option to be met at the railway station by a hotel porter, the attention of a doctor by arrangement and large garages one minute away (on Woodielea Road). As always, the hotel emphasised the proximity to golf courses. Other sporting pursuits were also mentioned, such as tennis, bowls, sea-bathing, fishing, boating and angling. Even motoring was considered a pleasant pastime for the holiday-maker!
​

However, change was afoot. Firstly, in 1962, after thirty years service, manageress Miss Cameron died. Three years later the railway line through Lundin Links and Largo closed to passenger services. In 1966, the Murisets decided to retire - 34 years after taking on the hotel. Never again would anyone come close to retaining ownership of the hotel for such as lengthy period. Huge changes had taken place during the era of Freddie and Jean Muriset. In the East Fife Mail of 9 November 1966 Mr Muriset commented that there had been a 100% increase in the number of people eating out at hotels and that quality of food had greatly improved.  He also remarked that "running a hotel is very much a 24 hours a day job". The couple had certainly devoted a huge chunk of their lives to the Lundin Links Hotel and had enjoyed doing so.

Part three in this series about the Lundin Links Hotel ended with the outbreak of the Second World War. Hotel owner, Freddie Muriset, had already served as a gunner with the Royal Field Artillery in the First World War. He immediately signed up to serve again, becoming a Captain with the Royal Artillery Territorial Army from 1939, progressing to a Major later during the war. In his absence, the hotel remained open, with his wife Jean Muriset at the helm, supported by long-term member of staff Miss Margaret Cameron who lived on-site.

The postcard image above features the air raid shelter which was created by the entrance to Fir Park (see brick feature at far left of image). This is shown in more detail below. The hotel continued to host functions such as weddings, and to welcome guests, while dealing with blackout restrictions and rationing. The advert below dates to 1944 and names Jean as the proprietor. As it became clear that the war was close to an end, fund-raising events such as dances were held in the hotel in aid of the 'Welcome Home Fund'. In the years immediately following the war, hotels across the country found stocks of items such as sheets, towels, furniture and curtains in short supply. Mr Muriset commented upon this in the press in June 1948, adding that the cut in spirits allocation and limited petrol rations, on top of other supply issues, would mean that many small hotels would struggle to make a profit.

However, as the post-war years gave way to the new decade, the Lundin Links Hotel was on the up once more. Each week in the local press there were reports of dances, celebrations, meetings and dinners held there. Moreover, a string of famous faces visited the hotel. Firstly, on 14 March 1949, child actor John Howard Davies, pictured below, who was aged 10 at the time, was a guest. The star of the 1948 film 'Oliver Twist', stayed at the Lundin Links Hotel with his mother for three days, while making personal appearances at cinemas in Lochgelly, Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline. He also paid a surprise visit to a school in Methil. ​

June 1952 saw His Highness Omar Ali Saifuddien III, the Sultan of Brunei, and party lunch at the Lundin Links Hotel as the guests of Cameron Bridge Distillery. The Sultan had arrived in the UK on 20 May for a two month visit (his first to the country). The photograph above from 11 June Tatler shows him (centre) at an event just days prior to his visit to Fife, where he attended the Cupar Highland Games. A second Sultan dined at the hotel just one month later. On this occasion it was the Sultan of Perak (a Malaysian state) who enjoyed the hotel's hospitality.
​

The following year, another celebrity dropped in for lunch at the hotel - Maurice Chevalier, the French actor, singer and entertainer. The 64-year-old, who was also a keen golfer, visited in February 1953 while in the UK touring his one-man show (which included dates at King's Theatre in Glasgow and the Lyceum in Edinburgh). His lunch followed a visit to the John Haig factory in Markinch.

The hotel now used the phrase "Scottish Riviera" extensively in its advertising and this became the hotel's telegram address. An advert even appeared in The Tatler suggesting the hotel as a place to go for 'Northern Nights' away. A good balance would seem to have been struck between catering for both visitors and locals alike. Parties thrown for children are fondly remembered by some. The 9 November 1955 Leven Mail reported on a Hallowe'en party where "a hilarious time was had by all". Tea was served, a conjurer provided entertainment and then a real witch "whisked in on her broom, complete with cat". A 1950 Christmas Social comprised "a programme of games and dances to suit young and old", Christmas carols then an appearance by Santa Claus who presented each young guest with a gift.

The previous post concluded with Thomas Hogg and his wife taking over the running of the hotel in 1924. Just two years later, their lives were hit by tragedy when their son, Cecil James Hogg, who worked as an assistant barman in the hotel, was killed in a motor accident, aged just 17 years old. The accident happened on a new stretch of road between Aberhill and Leven Bridge in wet conditions. The car, with five occupants returning from a dance, collided with an electric standard, adjacent to the Wemyss and District tramway track. Hogg received the full force of the impact. Part of the Fife Free Press report of 24 July 1924 is below. The family continued to run the hotel for a further three years before Thomas Hogg retired from hotel keeping to focus on his motor hire business. He lived at 'Montpelier' on Victoria Road (named after the house of the same name in which he previously lived in Edinburgh). 

In 1929, the hotel changed ownership to Mrs Eileen Helen Lindsay and Miss Margaret (Meg) Hutchison Morton (who were sisters). The advert below from the Arbroath Herald dates to their era. Their proposals for a "lifting screen and counter" were approved by the St Andrews District Licensing Court in April 1930 (click here to see the original architect drawing for this work (will open in a new window as a PDF document)). However, their tenure would be short-lived. The hotel was advertised for sale in September 1931 (see advert further below from The Scotsman). The sale was likely due to ill health, as Meg Morton died in February 1932. 

The sale of the hotel was concluded early in 1932. The new proprietors - Freddie and Jean Muriset - would go on to become the longest-serving owners of the Lundin Links Hotel. Alfred Henri Olivier Chapman Muriset (pictured below) was born in 1893 in Edinburgh, to parents who were both teachers of French. He had worked in the whisky and wine trade prior to purchasing the hotel. The Murisets time in charge was something of a golden era for the hotel but in fact it got off to a tricky start. Almost immediately after taking over the reins, the hotel suffered a fire, in June 1932. As with the fire of 1920, it was Captain Burnett and the Buckhaven Fire Brigade that attended the call. The outbreak affected a ground floor bedroom but was triggered by an adjacent fireplace in a lounge room. Thanks to the speedy work of the fire brigade, the damage was 'trifling' and limited to a fireplace, carpet and some furniture.
​

The Murisets recovered from this early set back and embarked upon improvements to the hotel. With the input of L.A. Rolland, architect, they drew up extensive plans for a new public bar and cocktail lounge to replace the original bar. The original full architect drawings for these can be viewed by clicking here (will open in a new window as a PDF document) and extracts are shown below. Note that the red lines indicate existing work removed. Also notice the various different cellars and stores. Mr Muriset's experience in the world of wines and spirits, and the pride he took in his cellar, gave him the vision to create an exciting modern bar experience for customers.
​

Below are the reports in the local press on the progress of the works. The 26 February 1935 Leven Advertiser reported that the alterations were well-advanced - the new bar due to open within days. The 11 June edition of the same paper tells us that the cocktail bar had now been completed and was already proving to be popular. The bar counter and rear gantry moved from the original bar to the new public one.  The cocktail bar featured oak panelling, a brick fireplace and electric lighting.  
​

It is likely that it was also around this time that the additional 'Lundin Links Hotel' lettering was added to the west-facing chimney stack. This lettering can be seen in the photograph above, which shows a bustling scene of pedestrians and a mix of vehicles at the hotel corner. The Murisets also undertook an extensive advertising campaign for the upgraded hotel, including adverts in publications such as The Sphere and The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News. Two examples of such adverts from the late 1930s are shown below. However, on 1 September 1939, World War Two began. The story of the hotel will pick up from there in the next post.

The previous post detailed the construction and 1900 opening of the Lundin Links Hotel. The arrival of such a palatial building in the district caused quite a stir. There was a ready-made audience for the hotel in the shape of golf-playing city dwellers of Edinburgh and Glasgow, many of whom were already familiar with the charms of Lundin Links. The year after its launch, the hotel was once again "decked with flags". This time the occasion was the return from the Boer War of Captain Jack Gilmour, of Fife and Forfar Imperial Yeomanry, son of owner of the Lundin estate, Sir John Gilmour. According to the 6 August Scotsman newspaper, "long streamers of the Gilmour colours - green and white - floated between the hotel and other buildings on the opposite side of the street". 

​The Dundee Courier from 6 August (extract below) tells of how a company of around seventy people enjoyed lunch in the hotel, presided over by hotel architect and then Captain of Lundin Golf Club, Peter Lyle Henderson. Captain Gilmour had recently become Captain-elect of Lundin Golf Club. His brother, Lieutenant Harry Gilmour, was also present at the lunch. He had also taken part in the Boer War and had returned home in March 1901, having been wounded in the head in October 1900.
​

The hotel with its function rooms and public spaces hosted many special events and dinners. Early examples included retirement celebrations, Largo Curling Club dinners and Largo Silver Band events. As the 1900s went on, Lundin Links continued its growth and development. Not only were new villas being built but new facilities were appearing as well, many of which would benefit hotel guests. In 1903 new shops were erected opposite the hotel on Emsdorf Street in the site of a row of old cottages. The pharmacy and newsagent in particular would have enjoyed the custom of the hotel guests, purchasing postcards, summer requisites, fancy goods and photographic supplies. Below is an example of a postcard purchased in Young's newsagent on Emsdorf Street by a hotel guest. Sent in the 1910s, and featuring the hotel on the other side, the message states "It is a very nice building and I am inside at a game of billiards".

In 1905 the bowling green opened and the tennis courts were completed in Lundin Links, offering additional attractions for hotel guests. And in 1910 the Montrave Hall was opened, following calls from locals and summer visitors for a larger hall capable of hosting a wide range of events and entertainment. The existence of the hotel and the influence of its regular visitors likely contributed to the creation of these facilities. Lundin Links was firmly established as a holiday destination.

As early as 1911, the hotel also acted as a venue for wedding receptions. Although most marriages were celebrated at home in this era, the existence of a smart hotel in the village offered an alternative to those who could afford it. One early example was the wedding reception for the youngest daughter of Andrew Peebles of Highclere. Dora Gwendolene Peebles married George Clark at Largo Parish Church and, after the ceremony, the guests proceeded to the hotel where Mrs Peebles hosted a reception. This modern couple also had 'going-away costumes' and left the hotel directly to go on their honeymoon.

Later in Sam Duncan's years as proprietor of the hotel, it appears that he spent increasing amounts of time in Edinburgh, while live-in managers conducted the day-to-day running of the hotel (including during the years of the First World War). Mangers included Miss Law, Tom Harris and Mrs Jean Sharp. When Harris was managing the hotel in 1920 a fire broke out in the kitchen and spread to the roof. According reports in the Leven Advertiser (14 October) "Mr Tom Harris and his staff...performed wonders in holding the outbreak until the arrival of Firemaster Burnett and his men". These men from Buckhaven Fire Brigade started to cut away the roof in order to check the further progress of the flames, saving the building. Below is the previous evening's Dundee Evening Telegraph report on the incident.

With the sad loss of the Lundin Links Hotel building this week, due to a major fire, it feels appropriate to revisit the history of this iconic landmark. The next few blog posts will remember the hotel as it was intended to be - a place that people gathered for enjoyment and relaxation.  The above sketch of the brand new hotel appeared in 31 May 1900 Leven Advertiser and reminds us that when the hotel first opened its doors, travel was still primarily horse-drawn. The late Victorian era was a time of rapid development in Lundin Links. The late 1890s saw a row of shops built opposite the hotel site on Leven Road. Many new villas and boarding houses were springing up to meet demand for accommodation.

The old inn, which pre-dated the hotel, had been bought in 1897 by James McTavish, who had the vision of demolishing it and building a modern, up-market hotel to cater for the golfers and summer visitors that flocked to Lundin Links.  Construction of the new hotel was hindered when McTavish was declared bankrupt in March 1899.  Three individuals stepped in to save the project (with McTavish retained as manager).  The new investors (shown from left to right in the image below) were Samuel Duncan (McTavish’s father-in-law, a tailor from Edinburgh), Peter Henderson (the architect of the hotel), local man businessman William Bethune . All men were keen golfers and the hotel was conveniently close to Lundin Golf Club, of which Henderson was Captain at the time.

The 1899 photograph above shows the hotel part-built. At this point the roof was yet to be completed and the west side of the hotel was not yet up to its full height. The second floor arched window spaces were present but incomplete. Construction of the west-wing of the third floor was yet to be started. ​The hotel was eventually completed for the summer season of 1900, with specially-invited guests attending a preview of the premises in May. The East of Fife Record on 11 May surmised that the hotel "should secure a large clientele among the golfing fraternity". Indeed the guest list for the 24 May opening preview event included a fashionable crowd of golf enthusiasts including Edinburgh furrier John Gerrard, founder of luxury jewellers Hamilton and Inches, Robert Inches, and musician John Kenyon Lees, who had a 'Piano and Music Saloon' on Edinburgh's Frederick Street and was composer of 'The Golf Song Book'. 

The smartly-turned out party of locals and visitors can be seen in the photograph above, taken by William Drummond Young of Edinburgh (and featured in June 1900 Golf Illustrated magazine). All of this commotion and change must have been quite bewildering for the older residents of Lundin Mill. The Leven Advertiser piece recognised that one "cannot pass Lundin Links without being struck with the thorough way in which modern buildings have entirely obliterated the village, even to the name, Lundin Links, coming trippingly off the tongue of all save the older natives."

In fact the old inn had not been entirely demolished at the time of the opening of the new hotel and stood in stark contrast to the "new hotel resplendent in its fresh paint, flags and draperies." However, it was noted that the old "deserving institution" had to "give place to a building more suited to the wants of this growing and popular watering place". The modern design of the new hotel was an example of a fashion for red brick work coupled with half-timbering. The Leven Advertiser provided a detailed description of the interior, which included a flexible space on the first floor featuring a sliding partition. 
​

The varied facilities had clearly been carefully planned with the target clientele in mind and took advantage of the latest innovations. Other features included electric light powered by an oil engine, modern bathrooms (no longer was there a need to bring your own bath on holiday) and an extensive laundry at the rear. All work was carried out in the "most lavish manner" by the contractors, whose details are provided below. 

As well as a tour of the building and a dinner, the 24 May event involved musical recitals and many speeches, paying tribute to the many people involved in achieving completion of the venture. Among the speech-givers was local baker Andrew Thomson who gave reminiscences of the village and golf course as he knew the place 37 years ago. He was one of the six founders of the Lundin Golf Club back in 1868. In another speech, Sir John Gilmour speculated on the type of guests that might visit the new hotel. Aside from the golfing fraternity, he spoke of city-dwelling 'week-enders', seeking some sea air to put colour in their cheeks (see newspaper extract below). 
​

On 14 July 1971, under the headline "Face-lift at Granary", the East Fife Mail reported on the restoration of the former salt girnel/granary/net store building at Cellar Brae. The photograph above shows the work underway, at the stage when the roof was being replaced but the sea wall had yet to be heightened. Below are a few images taken in the mid-1970s, just a few years after completion. The conversion into a "seaside cottage" was carried out for "Mr John Gilmour, elder son of the Conservative M.P. for East Fife, Sir John Gilmour, Bt". Then aged 26, Mr Gilmour and his wife first decided to restore the granary in 1969 when they "noticed that it was literally falling to pieces and decided that we had to preserve it".  

In explaining the former uses of the building, Mr Gilmour said "in the past the Cellar Brae granary has been put to a variety of uses. At first it was of course a place where local grain was stored before being shipped across the Forth to Leith but that trade died out over a hundred years ago." He continued "for many years it was used by local fishermen as a storehouse for their nets and lobster pots but at one time it even housed a joiner's business." It's interesting that the real original use of the building as a salt girnel had at this point apparently been forgotten.

The building in fact had mixed use for long periods of time. Note that local joiner Alec Tait had workshop space within the granary building from around 1920 into the 1960s, his father David Tait having had the workshop there before him from the early 1890s. This overlapped with use as a granary and then a net store. It was the building's affinity with the village's fishing industry that Mr Gilmour was keen to maintain. At the time of the newspaper piece he was contemplating a suitable name for the finished dwelling. "Perhaps we will call it the 'Net House'. I think that would be an appropriate name for the cottage".  And so it came to pass that the house was given that name, when the restoration work was completed in 1972 - the name which it still goes by today. 

In 1984 the building was given a category B listing, in recognition of its architectural and historical interest. A great example of a mid-eighteenth century structure in a local style and with a varied past use, its listing description is given as:
​
2 storey, boulder rubble with large sandstone lintels to ground floor, and low buttresses to long sides. South elevation has arched door near centre with stugged ashlar dressings and deep flanking buttresses, 2 windows left and 3 right; 3 small, first floor windows, window over door, raised through eaves with catslide roof, large modern studio window with gabled head. Glazed doors in east gable. North elevation irregular fenestration, 6 ground and 4 1st floor window. Pantiled roof with slate easing course, skews and 2 stacks. Curved boulder rubble wall to south remains of west pier, probably 18th century, with steps down to water, and low bastion enclosing circle of setts at site of horsemill.

The image below shows the setts at the site of a horse mill between the building and the sea wall. The date of this feature is unclear but likely aligns to the years when the site was used as a granary.
​

The photographs above show the west-facing gable end pre- and post-conversion. The high window suggests the earlier presence of a forestair to an entrance at the upper level. The extent of the heightening of the sea wall can also be seen in the post-restoration image.  The conversion to a private dwelling was carried out by Leven architect firm L.A. Rolland and Partners and the project won a Civic Trust heritage award. The design by David Pirie sought to maintain the original character and tradition of this imposing structure. 

Described as a "derelict stone bothy" which had been neglected for years, one specific requirement of the restoration was that the external walls were left unharled. Commenting in the 25 June 1975 East Fife Mail, Mr Rolland noted that "five years ago people didn't do nearly so much of this type of restoration but people are now more aware of the value of such properties". He continued "there is more of this work done in Fife than other places, not only because of conservation societies, but because there are some very nice buildings in this part of Fife". The restoration was certainly a great outcome for this significant Largo building.
​

Cellar Brae or Cellar Braes is the promontory to the west of Lower Largo Harbour. The map above, which is dated 1843, is one of the few to clearly name the area. Below is a comparison of that map with a recent aerial view of the site. The general layout and many of the buildings remain the same, although some buildings have been lost. The large building closest to the sea has survived and is one of Largo's oldest. Now known as The Net House, pictured further below, this building began life as a salt girnel (store-house) for the adjacent salt works at Drummochy. Dating back to the 1740s, the girnel was a secure building where salt was drained and stored - an essential component of any salt works. Salt was an extremely valuable commodity at this time and a good quality, robust building was needed for secure storage. So, it is thanks to the original function and importance of the building that it has been able to stand the test of time.

With the decline of the salt industry locally in the late 18th century, the building's function had to evolve. For a time, it was used as a granary (separate from the granary on the other side of the harbour, now part of the Crusoe Hotel). The 1932 Largo Village Book states that historically "grain was stored for shipping" at Cellar Braes. However, by the late 19th century, and for many decades, the building and surrounding ground was used to store fishing gear and to dry nets (hence the building's present name of The Net House). There are a few images below that feature nets hung out to dry all around the area.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, salmon stake nets ran out to sea in front of the Net House (see image below). Throughout that time, valuation rolls show that the Cellar building and Lundin Salmon Fishings were owned by Lundin Estate. These facilities were tenanted initially by Andrew Greig Anderson, Edinburgh fishmonger, in the late 19th century and then by  Joseph Johnston and Sons Limited of Montrose (a long-established salmon fishing business with interests the length of the east coast) in the early decades of the 20th century.
​

By the mid-1930s, Cellar Braes began to change into more of a recreational space. The Largo Parish Community Council rented the area and organised for benches and a shelter to be put in place for the comfort of those enjoying the views across the harbour. The old path which used to run around the seaward side of the Net House was re-routed to the landward side of the building.  The old path route with its unguarded sea wall was not without its risks, as the ​9 April 1935 Leven Advertiser piece below demonstrates. The man who fell over the edge onto the rocks was staying at 'Westhaven' - a house opposite Cellar Brae (see map further below). In the early 1970s, the now semi-derelict net house building was restored and converted into a private dwelling. The sea wall was heightened for safety.
​

As well as being the site of private homes, the Cellar Braes of today continues to offer benches, views and space to relax. The former shelter (seen on map and image above) is long gone but a patch of concrete indicates where this once was.  This multi-functional corner of the village has a rich history. Featured in artworks and offering a fine viewing space for events at the harbour, it continues to be a characterful part of the Largo landscape.