The pair of 'then and now' images above compare the Upper Largo Hotel (then named Largo Hotel) of circa 1970 with the hotel as it looks in more recent times. The hotel was acquired in the summer of 1969 by Sylvia and Bob Harbert, who went on to refurbish the establishment and add the stone extension. The hotel comprised rooms, a cocktail bar, a lounge bar and a restaurant, which gained a reputation for its good food. As the Harbert's son Ashley points out, this was the heyday of prawn cocktail, sirloin steak and Black Forest gateau, accompanied by a bottle of Liebfraumilch. That said, it was the haddock and chips that proved especially popular.

The images above are from a promotional flyer, highlighting the key features of the hotel, which the Harberts turned into a thriving business. Additional bedrooms were added in 1972. Note the hotel restaurant had a wine list on each table. The pictures on the restaurant walls showcased other establishments that the Harberts had run over the years, including the Clayhall Tavern in Bow, London and the Tudor Rose in Hemel Hempstead. 
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Bob and Sylvia can be seen standing proudly behind the bar in the photograph below. Notice the last orders bell on the left and the glass fishing floats hanging above the bar. If you remember the Harberts and the hotel during this era, please leave a comment. The pair moved on in 1974, to build a new hotel in Blairgowrie. They had a painting of the Largo Hotel made, which went on to grace the walls of their later establishments.

The former St David's Church had two different bells during its existence - the one which can still be seen today at the rear of the roof (pictured above) and the original bell which hung in a tall stone bellcote above the front entrance. The original bell was presented by the family of Alexander Hogg  a former Largo blacksmith who had died in 1870, the year before the church building was erected. The original bell and bellcote can be seen in the images below.
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After many decades of service, not to mention exposure to the coastal elements, the bellcote and its rope-operated bell were in need of repair. By the early 1960s, the tall stone bellcote was considered dangerous and so a project was begun to make it safe. The bellcote was taken down and the stone work at the rear of the roof was also reduced in height. The bell was recast, relocated to the rear of the roof and was converted to electric power. 

Mr Ewan Bryden co-ordinated the project and also designed the cross-topped metal structure which would house the new bell. The bell was recast at John Taylor and Company, Bellfounders and Bellhangers. The name 'Taylor' can be seen on the bell in the images further below. Founded in 1859, Taylor have cast more than 25,000 bells which hang in over 100 countries around the world. You can read more about that here and watch a video about the bell founding process here and in the other videos on the firm's YouTube channel.

Funds for the works came from a memorial fund in the name of Miss Nicoll, supplemented by fundraising activities organised by the congregation. As the 4 November 1964 piece above from the Leven Mail explains, there was a show held in the Durham Hall, where the Sunday School, Bible Class, Kirk Session, Woman's Guild, Life Boys and Youth Club presented a programme of entertainment. This included a song written by Mr McGregor, sung to the tune of "The Bells of St Mary's" called "The Bell of St David's".
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On the first Sunday of 1965, a service was held at which the bell was rededicated (see 6 January Leven Mail piece above). The new gates and railings were also dedicated at the same time. A plaque was placed in the church vestibule to mark the occasion and to ensure that the memory of Miss M.M. Nicoll, late Kirk Treasurer was remembered.
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Margaret MacDougall Nicoll (1882-1962), was a daughter of Kirkton of Largo Schoolmaster Thomas Nicoll. She became a school teacher herself and had died on 10 June 1962, at which time she was Honorary President of Largo St David's Women's Guild. Margaret was the second eldest of five children - William (1880), Margaret (1882), Robert (1886), Mary (1888) and Annie (1892). She attended Kirkton of Largo Primary School (where her father was master for 35 years) then Waid Academy in Anstruther, before going to St Andrews University where she gained an M.A.. In May 1900 she was appointed temporary mistress at Kirkton, assisting her father and beginning her career in teaching. More on the life of Miss Nicoll will follow in a future post.

The former Largo St David's Church building has now embarked upon a new chapter - read more here.

The previous post covered the life of Robert Black - a native of Woodside who became Chair of Largo Parish Council and Inspector of the Poor for the Parish. Indeed it was Robert Black who, towards the end of his life, cut "the barricade of red, white and blue ribbon" with "a pair of silver scissors" to allow the first cars to pass over the new bridge linking Drummochy to Lower Largo on Saturday 3 October 1914. Many years in contemplation, the long-desired bridge was composed of steel girders and troughing and parapet railing, with concrete wing walls. It came at a cost of £1,455, 8s and 5d.

The commemorative photograph above was captured by keen amateur photographer, Robert Paxton of Homelands. It shows the first of the three cars that crossed the new bridge as part of the opening ceremony. This car, registration SP 708, bedecked in flowers, belonged to Lower Largo's Walter Horne. Another of the cars belonged to Upper Largo's Thomas Wishart. The cars carried members of the Largo Parish Council, the engineers and the bridge contractors. A profusion of flags and bunting surrounded around the bridge. The buildings in the background from left to right are The Railway Inn (light-coloured gable end), Alexandra House (centre), Beach House (3-storey terrace with dormer windows and many chimneys) and the Crusoe Hotel (extreme right). Robert Black and his wife Eliza could well be among the crowd. Are you able to identify any of the faces shown below? 
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​Having been presented with a pair of silver scissors by Walter Horne, Robert Black declared the bridge open "in the name of the Parish Council" and expressed "the hope that it would fulfil all their expectations and be of advantage to all and disadvantage to none". As the ribbon was cut, there was "a great scramble on the part of the spectators to secure a piece as a remembrance of the occasion". The 8 October Leven Advertiser ran a lengthy article describing the occasion. A large crowd raised loud cheers "as the first gaily decorated motor car sped across the bridge". 

After the official party crossed the bridge in the cars, they, and a few select others, made their way to the recently completed Victoria Hotel for a "daintily cooked and perfectly served dinner" supplied by Miss Brown. Toasts were made, including one to Messrs Bruce and Proudfoot of Cupar and Kirkcaldy, the civil engineers. The building contractor for the bridge project had been Mr Henderson of Markinch. The Motherwell Bridge Company was also acknowledged, having supplied specialist materials. The engineers and contractors presented Robert Black with a silver tray and Walter Horne with a silver cigar case, in recognition of their co-operation as members of the Parish Council. After completion of the toasts, speeches, and presentations the national anthem was sung.

The pair of maps below compares the harbour area before and after the building of the road bridge. Close inspection shows that the corners of a couple of gardens had to be clipped to enable smooth entrance to and exit from the bridge for vehicles. One of those who gave up a portion of their garden was Dr Selkirk, owner of Alexandra House (which had a large rectangular front garden in the older map). 
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Woodside is a hamlet to the west of New Gilston, in the north east of Largo Parish. In the centre of the 1828 Greenwood map extract above, it is clear how the hamlet got its name. At the time the settlement was surrounded by trees on all sides. Woodside would have been a relatively new settlement when surveyed for this map. It is absent from the 1775 Ainslie map below, where the road between Hill Teasses and New Gilston is featureless.
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In 1808 a "Plan of the Estate of New Gilston" was drawn up by land-surveyor Alexander Lumsden. This plan shows the site that would become Woodside as a "planting" known as "West Muir". On the plan, this planting had been subdivided into 8 or 9 strips running north from the roadside (some in pen, others later additions in pencil). At the foot of the plan was a table listing these strips: a, b, c, d, e and f (then in pencil g, h and i). Names had been lightly added in pencil against those letters. Although difficult to read, the names against the plots included Ritchie, Carstairs and Pryde. This suggests that it was 1808 that initial plans were drawn up for the development of Woodside. It may have been some years later before the row of stone cottages reached completion.  

The 1841 census records 21 Houses and 108 persons living in Woodside - a mix of primarily agricultural labourers and coal miners and their families. There was also a blacksmith and a shoe maker. As the 1775 map above shows, the area already had a number of coal pits (New Gilston was created to house colliers employed at the Gilston Coalpits some 400 metres to its north). The early 19th century saw increased industrial activity in the area with further pits sunk at Teasses, Baldastard and Bonnyton. This activity must have led to the need for new housing for workers.

The description of Woodside from the Ordnance Survey 1855 Name Book is show below. It describes a "neat and clean village" with "houses which are of one storey" with small gardens attached. At the time there was "one shop in the village for the sale of groceries". The school was in New Gilston and the nearest Post Office at Upper Largo (from which walking postmen would serve Woodside). Although this record states that the village was "occupied chiefly by farm labourers", the census data from 1841, 1851, 1861 and subsequent decades records many coal miners in Woodside too. In fact for decades, the population seems to have been a fairly even split of miners and farm workers.

​The 1866 Westwood Parochial Directory extract below show that by that time Woodside had two grocers (William Pryde and Mrs William Leslie), as well as a dressmaker Miss Christine Pratt, and four carters (David Baldie, James Black, Thomas Laing and Thomas Morgan). All four of these carters had been coal miners earlier in life but were now employed to transport it. Miss Pratt also ran a Female Industrial School in the hamlet. One of the few mentions of this school was when pupils contributed entries to the annual horticultural shows at Largo. Mrs Leslie the grocer was Catherine Leslie, the widow of coal miner William. She was still a grocer in Woodside in 1891, aged 78 and died in 1898 aged 85.
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The most recent census results published date to 1921, when Woodside was home to a mix of farm workers, foresters, coal miners, crofters and employees of the nearby North British Railway Company. in 1933, the New Gilston and Woodside W.R.I. Hall was opened at Woodside. A substantial wooden construction, the hall "was formerly four houses, and was purchased in Largo for £35. It was transported to Woodside, where it was adapted to meet the requirements of the W.R.I. and erected by the men of the district. A new floor was laid." The Institute had been fund-raising for three years in order to obtain a hall. It remained in use for many years.

The pair of images above illustrate the changing face of Woodside over recent decades. The black and white photograph appeared in the book 'This is My Kingdom' by Charles Brister, published in 1972. Next to the image the author comments that "it is difficult to believe that these idyllic acres were once festooned with pit buildings". Although Woodside has not expanded in size since its initial development, many of the original dwellings have been modernised or replaced. More stories from Woodside are planned to follow in future posts but to round off for now, below is a rare example of a postcard from Woodside. The reverse side confirms that it was sent from Woodside, Largo and posted at Lower Largo. If you know of other Woodside postcards, or have any other old photographs of the place, or information on its history, please do get in touch.
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At first glance, the front elevation of the clubhouse of the Lundin Ladies Golf Club has changed very little from the 1897 drawing above. In fact, a few changes have occurred over the years, including the removal of the veranda's decorative balustrade, the enlargement of the windows, the repositioning of the front door and an extension to both the left and rear. The 10 May 1897 Dundee Advertiser announced the original construction of the building was underway. Details were provided of the internal layout and the contractors involved in the works (see below). 

The photograph above shows the clubhouse on its original site, with many smartly-attired lady golfers congregated around the veranda. The Ladies Club was based at this location until 1909 when the clubhouse and ladies course were relocated to 'Standing Stanes Park'. The minutes of the 12 November committee meeting stated that "It was arranged to have the Club-House lifted from the present Links to the new Ladies Links at once." The piece below from the 24 November Leven Advertiser confirms the removal of the pavilion. 
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The proximity of the new links to the houses on Leven Road resulted in some complaints about balls going over garden walls. The note above from the 30th March 1910 committee meeting notes this issue (and the fact that some players even ventured over the wall into gardens). The solution was "to have barbed wire put up on the wall". The official opening of the new course took place on 15 April 1910 and the following year a house was built for the greenkeeper (seen to the right of the postcard view below).
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In 1998, substantial alterations were carried out to the clubhouse, building out to the rear as shown in the images above and below. The front windows were also lowered, to enhance the view of the course from inside. The club house was now fit to face the new millennium. It continues to stand the test of time and remains a hub of activity. Find out more about the club today here: ​lundinladiesgolfclub.co.uk/
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The Fairy Bridge crosses the Keil Burn at the north end of Keil's Den, just south Balmain Farm and north of Pitcruvie Castle. The map below from 1857 shows that it was once between two quarries, suggesting both the reason for its creation and the source of the stone from which it was constructed. It is linked to the road that passes Auchindownie by a short farm track. The origins of the 'Fairy Bridge' name are discussed in the 1931 book 'Bygone Fife', where James Wilkie writes of the traditions, legends and folklore of the Kingdom. He describes Keil's Den as "that notorious haunt of witches" and "a haunt of fairies as well as witches". Referring to the fairies, he continues:

"They held their revels on the green haugh at the northern end, where the ruins of the castle, once a stronghold of the Lindsays of Pitcruvie, or the Byres, look down on the Keil Burn. The bridge that spans the stream is still known as the Fairy Bridge".
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The ambiguity around the age of the stone bridge is also touched upon by Wilkie. 

"Over the Fairy Bridge, whensoever and by whomsoever erected, the wayfarer may pass out of the haunted den to farms so well known in mystic lore as Balmain and Fairyfield, and climb the slopes of Norrie's Law, where the herd blew his fatal blast and foiled the attempt to solve the riddle of the buried treasure. There still lingers a vague memory of the days when the retainers in Pitcruvie Castle crossed the bridge to the spot where they exercised in arms....In fairyland seven years are as three days; time is after all an arbitrary conception, and it is difficult to fix dates dealt with in tradition. So the age of the bridge may be left to the imagination."

However, Wilkie also notes that this was the site of an earlier timber bridge. A wooden bridge was certainly built in the vicinity in 1760. It is recorded in the minutes of the Kirk Session that local wright, James Murray was paid £10, 13s, 4d for its construction. A footnote in Wilkie's book tells us that the name of Fairyfield Farm was changed, as the fairies "shrink from direct mention". The photograph below of the bridge was captured by local chemist Peter Cowie, who was also a keen photographer, like many in that profession at the time.
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The free-stone quarry by the Fairy Bridge was the source of the stone use to build the present Wood's Hospital (also known as John Wood's Houses) in Upper Largo. The advert above from 1831 is for the sale of the quarry after completion of the hospital. So the bridge must be older than that date. It's intriguing to imagine horses with loads of quarried stone navigating the bridge, as it made its way south to Kirkton of Largo for the construction of imposing James Leslie designed building (see map below for context and image of Wood's Hospital further below). There was said to be a stone on the bridge which states that it was restored by General James Durham in 1836.

The 'Suggested Walks and Places of Interest' pamphlet by Largo Field Studies Society describes the walk to the Fairy Bridge as follows...

From Upper Largo "take the road past the school. Go straight on at the cross road, downhill and across the road bridge over the Keil Burn. On the right view the remains of Pitcruvie Castle. Follow the road until the wood ends on the right. In spring a track skirting what was the wooded area can be traced to the Fairy Bridge but in summer it is liable to be overgrown."

This booklet also notes that the bridge was said to have been used by cadgers taking fish from Anstruther and other places in the East Neuk to the Royal Palace in Falkland, when the King was in residence. Whether that is true or not, the bridge is on the direct route as the crow flies from Anstruther to Falkland. The postcard image below suggests that the Fairy Bridge once provided a handy vantage point for recreational fishing. Nowadays access to the spot is more challenging, adding to the mystery of this forgotten source of folklore.
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The Belmont Temperance Hotel, pictured in the centre of the image above, once stood adjacent to Largo railway station. The snippet above from the 8 August 1890 East of Fife Record, details the circumstances that would eventually lead to the building of the hotel. The piece highlighted the "enormous" demand for accommodation in Largo but also pointed out the lack of options for those looking for only a short stay. While a couple of hotels existed, these had a small number of rooms, plus, these were "licensed premises" and many visitors at the time would have objected to that. 

The temperance movement, which encouraged abstinence from alcohol, had been established for decades. The local lodge of the Independent Order of Good Templars - the Robinson Crusoe Lodge - had been established in 1872 and was still very active in 1890. Lundin Mill had once had its own small Temperance Hotel. Against this backdrop, a proposal was made to build a new temperance hotel. Specifically, it was to be close to the beach at Lower Largo. By the summer of 1890 it was thought that a suitable site at Drummochy had been identified. However, that particular plan did not come to fruition and teetotal visitors had to wait a little longer.

There was no record of a temperance hotel in the census of 1891 but by July 1893, the local papers were listing summer visitors staying at the Belmont Temperance Hotel on its elevated position between Largo Station and the north side of Main Street. A storm in August 1893 resulted in a Norwegian vessel running aground at the Temple. Her crew were given hospitality at the Belmont Hotel under the care of hotelkeeper Mary Carswell. The 1895 valuation roll shows that Andrew Masterton, joiner, was the property owner, suggesting that he was responsible for its construction. 

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The 1 April 1903 Scotsman newspaper ran the small advert above stating that the hotel was "under new management". A W Urquhart was named as proprietor. However, by 1906, it was all change once again when there was another auction of furniture from the hotel (see notice below from 26 April 1906 Leven Advertiser).

Finally, a period of stability began when Miss Margaret Pippet Sawyer and Miss Mary Elizabeth Sawyer took over the Belmont in 1906. The sisters were born in the English coastal town of South Shields and were daughters of a mariner turned hotelier. Before coming to Largo they had lived in both Leith and North Berwick (where the family had run a temperance hotel). The article above detailed one of their early bookings at the Belmont - a tea party for a temperance group (30 June 1906 Fife Free Press). The advert below dates to their era. At the time that the 1911 census was taken, a 29-year-old Margaret Sawyer (also known as Marguerite) was the only resident at the Belmont Hotel. She and her sister later moved to Elie, where they ran various holiday accommodation over the years, both eventually marrying.

The 1920 valuation roll had Mrs J MacDougall and Miss J MacDougall as tenants with Catherine Clayton still the property owner. The 1921 census tells us that this was Jessie MacDougall and her daughter Jessie Mary. Also present for the census were four visitors and a servant (house and table maid). In December 1921 the wedding reception of the only daughter of the minister of Largo Baptist Church, Rev. Pulford, took place at the hotel. The hotel was advertised for sale in both 1920 and in 1922 (but apparently never sold as Catherine Clayton was still listed as owner in 1925). 

By summer of 1923 the hotel was under new management with Hugh and Janet McLean taking over the reins. During their time in charge, the Scottish colourist George Leslie Hunter was a guest on more than one occasion. Hunter's choice of a Temperance hotel is significant as his friend, art dealer and biographer, Dr Tom J Honeyman was a big supporter of the Temperance Movement. It's fascinating to imagine such a well-known artist producing familiar artworks featuring local scenes from this base - his hotel room full of his art materials, rough sketches and works in progress. 

​The story of the Belmont came to an abrupt end in the early hours of Friday 22 January 1926, when the hotel was gutted by fire. Only Hugh and Janet McLean and their child were occupying the hotel at the time. The "magnitude of the blaze attracted many spectators" in what was a unique spectacle for Largo. Later the same day the report below appeared in the Dundee Evening Telegraph.
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The side by side maps below show the hotel in 1912 when still standing (left) and the equivalent site in the 1960s (right) when the empty outline of the shell of the building was still marked on maps. The hotel building outline with its sea-facing bay windows is in the centre of the map extracts (below the F.B. which marks the foot bridge over the railway line). Further below are images of some traces of the old hotel which remain on the foot path up to the car park at the old station. A modern private dwelling, aptly named Belmont House, now occupies the plot of the former hotel.
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For many years there has been a summer one way system in place along the west part Lower Largo's Main Street. The restriction comes into force on 1 April and remains in place until the end of September. The one way section begins at the junction with Harbour Wynd and Drummochy Road, shown above, and runs as far as the Orry. Note the white arrow on blue background rectangular one-way signs on either side of the road. The 'Unsuitable for Buses' sign on the right hand side remains in place all year round (see below).
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The origins of this seasonal system go back to the late 1960s, when rising car ownership and the popularity of Lower Largo on warm sunny days often led to chaos on the narrow, winding street. Matters came to a head in the summer of 1969 when "brilliant sunshine drew thousands" to Fife's beaches. Lower Largo was one of the worst affected by the ensuing "traffic chaos". The 11 June 1969 East Fife Mail reported that "hundreds of motorists were jammed in the village unable to move out or in as traffic piled up in the narrow streets". Some motorists "conducted verbal battles at each other in their efforts to find a way out". 

One astute villager suggested a multi-point plan to relieve the situation, telling "The Mail" that the village's narrow main street, with no outlet at its end, forced cars to turn and come back down, often unable to pass the vehicles they met. He suggested a one way system at peak times between the Crusoe Hotel and the Orry. In addition, he suggested an extension of the Temple car park, the development of the old railway station into a car park and a "properly constructed turning circle at the Temple end of the village". He put his suggestions to the District Council. By the following year, an "experimental traffic regulation order" was issued and the Lower Largo Main Street one way system was put into practice. It came into effect on 4 July 1970 for a six month trial.

The site of the former railway station was converted into a car park in 1972, taking some pressure off the main street. By 1974 there was a proposal to make the seasonal one way system an year-round arrangement. The notice below appeared in the East Fife Mail of 30 October 1972, inviting residents to a public meeting in the Baptist Meeting House. The following week's Mail reported that it took only twenty minutes for residents to reject the proposal, with "an overwhelming 52-2 majority" voting for the system to remain unchanged. The main argument against the permanent system was that the steep Durham Wynd (or Donaldson's Wynd) was notorious for ice in the winter and road users travelling from the Temple shouldn't be forced to use it. 
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The seasonal arrangement (which settled into a pattern of one way between 1 April and 30 September) remains to this day. The other suggestions made in 1969 - a car park at the station site and a proper turning circle at the far end of the Temple (pictured below) - have also stood the test of time. 
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The series of images above illustrates the changes in village life around the viaduct over the Keil Burn at Lower Largo. This view, looking north from the gap between the Crusoe Hotel and the start of Main Street (see map below) has inspired both painters and photographers. This perspective offers layers of interest - from the Railway Inn in the foreground, through the viaduct, to the changing buildings beyond. The earliest image at the top was taken during the 1885 celebrations to mark the unveiling of the Crusoe statue and features the oil and cake mill framed behind the arches.
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The artworks by George Leslie Hunter represent just two of the many pieces he produced over the years that he frequented Largo in the 1920s. Local subject matter that Hunter captured included the pier and harbour, the pier pavilion, the beach, Drum Lodge, Dunkirk, the mill, street scenes and the viaduct. People he knew and places where he stayed also featured amongst his work, such as the Woman in the Hat and Beach House.

A few decades after Hunter, Tom Gourdie captured many views of the changing landscape in Fife. During the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, he set out to record streets and buildings due for demolition in a time of rapid architectural change. His subject matter included old houses, boat building yards, harbours, collieries, gasworks, mills and churches and covered places across Fife including Kirkcaldy (where he had his studio), Dysart, Leslie, Aberdour, Burntisland, West Wemyss, Kelty, Lochgelly, St Monans, Pittenweem, Anstruther and Lower Largo. By the time an exhibition of his work took place in Kirkcaldy Galleries in 1967, 30 of the 50 featured scenes had already been lost, with others earmarked for demolition (according to the 16 February 1967 Scotsman).

Gourdie developed an interest in industrial architecture early in life, after spending a year in the Fife Coal Company’s architect’s office as a teenager. His Largo piece above exemplifies this interest, with the gasometer and part of the gas retort house prominently framed by one of the viaduct's arches. Unusually for Gourdie's paintings, there are quite a few people featured in the painting. Their presence adds to the sense of this being a working harbour area. Perhaps Gourdie anticipated that this would not always be the case. Of course, the steam train crossing the viaduct represents another part of life now lost to history.

The above pair of images show a 'then and now' comparison of the view from the beach at Lower Largo, up through the Orry towards Goodsir House. The black and white postcard view dates to the 1940s, after the designation of the Orry as a "regulation parking place" by the District Council in 1939. There are only a couple of cars parked there though, in spite of the busyness of the beach. The present day view features far more cars - and dinghies. The Largo Bay Sailing Club building, to the right of Sunnyside, is a later addition. The club was first mooted in 1959. Following a period of fund raising, the club built its permanent club house (pictured below) in 1968. Another noticeable change is the number of attic conversions carried out over the decades, as people seek to maximise their sea views.

In the zoomed in pair of images above, there are three distinct layers of housing. The late Victorian homes, with their bay windows, sit behind the sea wall (Laurel Bank on the left and Sunnyside on the right). They replaced older structures that previously stood on either side of the Orry. Beyond that, in the centre, on the far side of Main Street is the much older Goodsir House, named after its distinguished former owner Dr John Goodsir. Sitting on higher ground beyond that, are the late 1920s dwellings of Durham Terrace. The detail below shows the scene to the east and a beach busy with activity, including an improvised game of cricket.