The scene of an incredibly busy beach in front of Drum Park in this 1930s postcard, exemplifies Largo's popularity as a summer destination during the interwar period. Literally hundreds of people are packed into this small area on a glorious day. Perhaps on this particular day a 'picnic party' had swollen the usual number of summer visitors. In the summer of 1933, for example, there were thirteen large picnic parties officially using the site adjacent to Massney Braes. By the 1936 season, there were bookings for every Saturday.
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Local newspapers of the time noted that this stretch of coast "enjoyed a remarkable measure of popularity". This popularity was nurtured by the newly formed Largo Parish Community Council. Their programme of  foreshore improvements included a "water supply, a convenient fireplace and a comfortable shelter" according to the 23 June 1936 Leven Advertiser piece, below. Other amenities added around this time included public conveniences, a drinking fountain, litter bins and a pitch for mobile refreshment vendors. Twelve new benches were also placed around the district in 1935.
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The 30 July 1935 Leven Advertiser snippet below highlighted how large crowds of day-trippers impacted upon local bus services. It would seem that the concept of queuing was unheard of at the time. Pushing and jostling was the norm - especially at Largo Harbour's bus stop - prompting calls for the supervised introduction of a queuing system!
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Such was the demand for leisure facilities that a longstanding desire for a swimming pool for the Parish was reinvigorated. Soon an engineer was consulted and a scheme devised which readily gathered momentum. The piece below from the 26 March 1935 Leven Advertiser confidently tells of how the scheme was "awaiting the consent of Sir John Gilmour".

A Largo Bay Bathing Pool Association was formed and, on 30 July 1935, a public meeting took place in the Temperance Hall. An update from the scheme's temporary committee was provided, a draft constitution adopted and office bearers appointed along with a management committee. Discussion also took place around the best means of raising the cost of the construction of the pool. Some fundraising activities were proposed along with a plan to encourage subscribers to pledge money for the scheme. However, as matters advanced it became clear that early quotes for the work had been unrealistic. The far higher investment needed to make the pool storm-proof led to the scheme being reluctantly dropped (see 18 February 1936 Dundee Evening Telegraph extract below).

The busy beach scene above has all the hallmarks of an "excursion party". In other words, it looks like a party of day-trippers, enjoying a much-anticipated visit to the beach. The location is the beach at Massney Braes, looking towards Largo Pier. Note the boat masts close to the pier in the background and the salmon stake nets in the sea to the far right. Dressed in their finery, this would have been an important social occasion and a special treat for the group. Their attire may look rather out of place to the modern-day eye, however, it was normal then for ladies to take to the sands in full length skirts and flamboyant hats, while the gents wore three-piece suits with ties. Children were a little less formal. Most boys appear to have on short trousers - perfect for paddling or being buried in sand. The party of at least fifty people included all ages. Close inspection shows a few donkeys are on the beach, giving the youngsters rides along the sand (see detail below). 
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Probably the group would have arrived by train at Lundin Links station and made their way over the iron bridge to the beach at Massney Braes, bringing a picnic with them. This could potentially be a church outing, or perhaps a society of some kind. The example below, mentioned in the 14 June 1906 Leven Advertiser, is of an excursion to Lundin Links by the Markinch Parish Church Sabbath School. Like the group in the photograph, they enjoyed games and races on the sands. In their case a 'special train' was laid on for the occasion, suggesting a sizeable group similar to the one shown. On occasion, a band would accompany these groups on their outing, to provide musical entertainment throughout the day.

Not all visiting groups arrived by train however. The 26 July 1907 East of Fife Record piece below describes how a picnic party a hundred strong from Colinsburgh United Free Church travelled to the seaside at Lundin Links in carts, in "delightful weather". Not all such trips were blessed with favourable weather conditions. Sometimes groups had to retreat into a suitable indoor venue at short notice. However, both the group in the image above, and a similar group shown in a different image below (at the same location but looking west), were fortunate.

The above photograph shows detail from a George Washington Wilson image of the beach at Lundin Links captured in 1899. The houses of Leven Road are in the background, next to Fir Park, and the under-construction Ravenswood and Elmwood is on the right. In the foreground is the beach with the dunes and golf course behind and, perched in a sheltered dip between the dunes, is a row of wooden huts. At the time, these were referred to as 'bathing coaches'. The piece below from 20 January 1909 Leven Advertiser tells of how these came to grief when they were "tossed about in all directions" during a winter storm. 

Bathing coaches or bathing machines were forerunners to beach huts. The concept dates back to the early eighteenth century when it solved the twin issues protecting the modesty of bathers and of getting the sick and infirm into the cold salt water that was deemed to be good for their health. Bathing coaches were basically a wooden hut on wheels - a mobile changing room - pulled between the shore and the sea with the tide, often by a horse. Bathers would pay a hire fee to make use of the facility for the day or part-day.

Largo had long been known as a 'sea-bathing resort' and it would have become apparent during the Victorian era that the provision of bathing coaches was expected by visitors. Summer visitors from Edinburgh would have been familiar with the bathing machines used at Portobello (pictured below, from the Canmore collection). Bathing coaches were also available in larger places within Fife, such as St Andrews and Kirkcaldy. 

At the turn of century, people visited the beach in full formal dress, as the photograph below taken at Massney Braes, with the iron bridge in the background, shows. Ladies wore full-length skirts, blouses and hats, while men donned smart trousers, jackets, shirts and ties. Changing into swimming attire was awkward and time-consuming. Plus, of course, it was widely seen as indecent to undress in the open. 
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The above piece from 9 August 1906 Leven Advertiser mentions both a "bathing shelter" and "bathing coaches". Below is another reference, from 15 July 1908 Leven Advertiser, to both the "coaches and shelters". Both features seem to have proved popular.

Around the time of the First World War, wheeled bathing coaches (examples of which from elsewhere are pictured above) were increasingly replaced with fixed bathing huts. While it was still frowned upon to get changed in the open, it was perhaps more acceptable to make the short dash from shore to sea in your bathing attire. By 1935 there were nearly 20 fixed bathing huts listed on the valuation roll for Largo Parish. These were all at Lundin Links shore, on a site provided by Sir John Gilmour, close to the railway station.

Used for the season rather than for the day, bathing huts became something of a status symbol. Owners of huts at Lundin Links included local well-to-do individuals, including: W. Lindsay Burns who resided at Linburn on Leven Road and was Chairman of  Henry Balfour and Company of Leven; William Moscrip of Duddingston House on Leven Road who was Managing Director of National Steel Foundry Leven Works; and George Victor Donaldson, of Stanely on Leven Road Chairman of James Donaldson and Sons timber merchant.

Many owners of boarding houses and private hotels also kept a bathing hut for the use of their guests. These included Andrew Blyth proprietor of Firpark boarding house, James Peebles Greig of Mount Vernon boarding house, John Balmer at Manderlea and Agnes Watters of Victoria Private Hotel. Above is an advert for Victoria Private Hotel. Note the mention of "private bathing boxes". When Margaret Paxton set up Fife Children's Home at Aithernie House, she also took a bathing hut for the use of her residents. In addition, several individuals from close-by Methil, Buckhaven and Leven, had bathing huts at Lundin Links, just a short train journey away. Below are a few images of local bathing huts over the years.
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The 18 October 1932 Leven Advertiser ran the headline above when reporting on the first A.G.M of the Largo Parish Community Council. One of the first priorities of the newly-formed community council was to make "foreshore improvements" at Lundin Links. While this stretch of coast already "enjoyed a remarkable measure of popularity", it was thought that there was "nothing to be gained by standing still" and that they ought to "launch out with a progressive scheme to foster the popularity".

Significantly, estate owner Sir John Gilmour had "shown both generosity and foresight in entrusting the Community Council with the development of the beach". The area in question was between Lundin Links Golf House and Mr Walter Horne's feu, (old pan house) south of the railway line. The aim was "to improve its amenity and hold it as a public recreation and pleasure ground". This was not to be a money making exercise but rather the right to sell refreshments would enable the costs of cleaning and maintenance of any new facilities to be covered. 

The pre-1930s postcard view above was taken on the beach at Lundin Links in front of Massney Braes, looking towards Drummochy and beyond. The flat-roofed Crusoe Hotel can be seen to the right. In the centre (under the words Lundin Links) is the old salt pan house (later joiner's workshop). The sand dune and grassy brae on the left had yet to under go the improvements that the LPCC would carry out. The map below shows the approximate position from which the image was captured. Being a later date, the map shows the shelter built on the braes and the public toilets built at the top of the path going up to Drummochy Road past the pan house.

An early foreshore improvement was to make a proper path alongside the railway at the top of the area. The 17 October 1933 Leven Advertiser piece below tells us that this extended from the 'Creaky Gate' (also referred to as 'Squeaky Gate') at the point where the road crossed the railway at the top of Drummochy Road to the Iron Bridge. Work to stabilise the sand dunes by planting grass also took place. Above is the 27 June 1933 notice to contractors that appeared in the Leven Advertiser in relation to the work.

In addition to the path improvements, other early successes included renting out pitches to vendors selling refreshments such as ice-cream and lemonade and the erection of a shelter (built to a design by Charles Raeburn the LPCC's Secretary and Treasurer). Over time, a water supply and drinking fountain was also installed along with seats, litter baskets, a place for setting fires and noticeboards. The image below shows some of these facilities in place. The Largo Silver Band were allowed to continue to play at the site were they had long performed, being seen as an additional attraction. 

The days of shelters, toilets, play equipment and ice cream vans at Massney Braes may have now gone but this remains a place where people can enjoy walking, sitting, accessing the beach and enjoying the views. Now a bit less managed and a bit more wild, rabbits, wildflowers and butterflies are among the wildlife making use of the space.

As a follow-on from the previous post about the Port of Drummochie, and the heyday of the salt pans there, we can look in more detail at the visible evidence of the old structures around this area. First, for context, a map comparison (above) of Drummochy in 1964 (top) and a feuing plan of the same area from around 1840. Numbered on both maps are:

1. The site of the former Emsdorf School;
2. The Salt Panhouse on the 'Panbraes';
3. Drum Lodge;
4. Salt Girnel (later known as Net House).

These landmarks and others are also annotated on the map below of Drummochy Salt Works from the book 'Largo - An Illustrated History' by Eric Eunson and John Band. This also shows how the pair of skerries of rock directly in front of the panhouse would likely have been dammed to create a 'bucket pot' (basin). Here the sea water would have been held when the tide was out, ready to be drawn up into the panhouse for boiling. More about the salt production process can be read about here.

The aerial image above and the ground level images below show the remains of the harbour structure. Much of the original stone would have been recycled into new building works long ago.  The former 'Pan Braes' became known as 'Massney Braes'. Unable to find any definitive origin or meaning for the word Massney, I wonder if there is any connection to stone masons using this area as a source of material. Opinions welcome on this idea - or evidence of an alternative meaning to the name. It's certainly the case that stone has taken from this area of shore by masons. In 1880, legal action was taken to stop Thomas Tivendale, mason, from "taking stone for building purposes from the seashore opposite Mr Macrae's property". Mr Macrae was Colin George Macrae W.S. of Drum Lodge.
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Above images show specific detail of the old harbour of Drummochie, captured at a time when there was less sand covering the area. The image on the left is the base of the sloping revetment of the harbour entrance (looking back towards Drum Park). The photo on the right is the end of the pier section which projects from the Lundie rocks.

Another historic feature in this vicinity is the man-made extension to the end of the Lundie rocks. Built around the 1830s, in the pre-railway days of the steam boat services, this low-water pier allowed boats to dock, embark and disembark passengers and goods, whatever the state of the tide. The flat platform of cut rocks can still be seen at the Lundies southern tip. The two images above show this from the ground and below is the same area from above. Remnants of iron fixings in the rock indicate a walkway with a bannister once would have assisted passengers from the boat to the shore.

Enjoy a short drone video clip ending at the former Drummochy Harbour here: https://youtu.be/HzIW_B2jxbk

For many a decade Largo had its own band. The above image (dated 1890 but possibly a few years later) shows the Largo Silver and Brass Band in uniform (reproduced from the book 'Seatoun of Largo' by Ivy Jardine). An article written about this particular incarnation of the local band appeared in the 29 August 1908 St Andrews Citizen. This piece stated that the band was established "25 years ago" suggesting an 1883 start date. It went on to say that they made their debut on the New Year's Day after their inception and since then had never missed a New Year's Day performance. However, a search through the newspaper archives reveals that earlier bands had come and gone before that 1883 date.

In 1839, the "Largo and Lundin Mill Instrumental Band" played at an Old Handsel Monday soiree organised by the "Largo and Lundin Mill Total Abstinence Society" in the "wareroom" at the spinning mill. The band are mentioned frequently in the 1840s and 1850s including the lacklustre review in the Fife Herald of 15 May 1856 below, where "the attendance was most miserable". This review generated a letter of complaint to the paper soon afterwards suggesting that this was an "attack" on the band due to "wounded feelings". I wonder what the story was there?

A dearth of mentions during the 1860s and early 1870s suggests that the band fell into abeyance for a time. The fact that  special events in Largo were attended by brass bands from nearby places such as Largoward, Leven and Methil supports that theory. However, in 1876 the 'Largo Brass Band' provided the music at a flower show in St Andrews representing a possible come back but it was not until the 1880s that the band seem to have become more consistent and fully established. They were conducted by a Mr Williamson in the mid 1880s and were typically known as 'Largo Brass Band'. At this time, the band also benefited from coaching from Leven's bandmaster - Mr Adamson - in an attempt to get them onto the 'competition list'. Band contests were popular with many Fife bands being regularly involved in these.

In 1899 it was noted in the St Andrews Citizen (1 July) that the band had recently secured a "smart uniform" through funds raised by a prize draw and liberal aid from "shopkeepers and other friends". This suggests that they previously had no uniform and places the image at the top of this post perhaps closer to 1899 than 1890. This was the era when the band were leasing and using a space in the granary building at Largo Harbour as a band room.

For 17 years (from around 1890) the band had been conducted by Leven man Mr George Houison. He led them to the competition victories that gave them the name "Largo Prize Band" for a number of years. He may well be in the photograph above. However, Houison left for Ontario, Canada around the end of 1907 with several other members of his family, some of whom were also band members. The front page advert from the East of Fife Record (6 Sept 1907) details what must have been one of Houison's last engagements with the band.

The band was funded entirely by subscriptions with costs of around £60 per annum in 1908 (excluding repairs or new instruments). At this time it was noted that other bands in the area had "full-plated sets of instruments" and it was thought that Largo should too. A sum of around £200 would have to be raised to make that happen. A bazaar was proposed for the following summer​.

A Mr J Bisset took over the bandmaster role in 1908 was described as an "energetic and efficient teacher". This was quite possibly John Bisset later of Buckthorns Farm. At that time the band had a number of wealthy patrons and seemed to be in great demand. To advertise their 1909 summer bazaar, the band's secretary Thomas Graham Wishart had his motor car "gaily decorated and...driven round the district advertising the announcing the attractions of the bazaar". This must have been effective as around 700 people attended the event and soon afterwards the band became 'Largo Silver Band'.  Mr Bisset resigned early in 1912 as bandmaster and the position was advertised (see advert below from 10 Feb Fifeshire Advertiser). It was noted that attendances at practices were not good at that time and only a couple of concerts were mentioned in the local papers thereafter before the band took a break during the Great War. ​
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The band had resumed by 1921 and continued albeit with up and downs for many years after that. In 1929 the Leven Mail (19 June) reported that the "exodus of many young players from the district may force Largo Silver Band to break up" but by 1933 the same paper (8 March) stated that the band "now has the financial security to enlarge its scope". There was a simple bandstand on Massney Braes around the 1930s (see images below) where the band gave a popular summer programme of concerts. There was a period of disbandment during World War Two but the band were reported in the 19 June 1946 Leven Mail as playing at the Largo War Memorial. The leader at that time was another Mr Bisset. In this post-war period there was also a 'Largo Pipe Band'. Mention of either band seems to be absent from the newspaper archives after this time. If you know when the demise of the Largo Silver Band came about - please comment.
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Ebenezer Coutts was born on February 1744 in Tillicoultry to Robert Coutts and Elizabeth Thomson. Coutts came to Largo in the 1760s and on 20 December 1769 he married Magdalene Lundin, who was the seventh child of James Lundin and Magdalene Condie. The Lundins were living in Drummochy before Ebenezer Coutts arrived there and owned the salt works and associated collieries. It may have been that Coutts initially came to Largo to work for James Lundin. However, several years after arriving in Largo, Coutts became factor to the Earl of Leven.

This was the era of the 6th Earl of Leven, David Melville, shown in the images above. Note that this was still a time when men wore coats, waistcoats, breeches, stockings and buckled shoes (and wigs for formal occasions). The 6th Earl was born in Leven in 1722 and died in 1802 in Edinburgh. Among Ebenezer's duties as his factor were to continue the overseeing the salt works at Drummochy (where he also lived), paying and overseeing other estate workers, showing lands to let, managing sales of the produce of the estate (including sea marle, flax, salt and coal) and arranging shipping out of the 'Port of Drummochy'. He would also have collected proceeds from estate sales and kept accounts . At some point Coutts also become Bailie in Drummochy (i.e. a civilian officer who administers the law at a local level). This is mentioned in the excerpt below about his wife from the 'History of the Clan Lundy, Lundie, Lundin'. The record of their marriage is also shown below.

​In 1771 Ebenezer and Magdalene's first child Robert was born in Drummochy and was baptised on 30 August 3 days after his birth. He was named after his maternal grandfather Robert Condie. His uncle Robert Lundin, a 'Sailor in Drumochy', was present at the baptism (see baptism record below). Daughter Magdalene was born in 1733 (died 1819) and then Elizabeth in 1775 (died 1794). 

Living at Drum Lodge from around 1799 and possibly closer to Drummochy Harbour prior to that, Ebenezer was perfectly positioned for his role as Overseer for the Drummochie salt works. The advert below from Caledonian Mercury of 21 March 1774 shows him as contact for any Master Salter of good character looking for employment. Records were kept on the character of salters due to the temptation to illicitly draw off salt during the manufacturing process in order to sell on this highly valued and taxed commodity on the black market.

The adverts below from the 19 July 1775, 3 April 1776 and 12 June 1779 Caledonian Mercury detail the trade in 'Shell-Marle' which was used as a fertiliser and was "handled with more ease and less risk then limeshells". Soil fertility was an issue at this time and shell marle was recommended for overused and depleted soil. However, its prolonged use, without stable dung also being applied, was later found to push exhausted soil beyond repair, leading to the phrase "marl makes rich fathers and poor sons".

Ebenezer was also involved in 'flax raising' as can be seen from the list below of premiums charged to those involved in this industry across Scotland (12 Dec 1785 Caledonian Mercury). He is listed fourth from the top right along with three other Largo men. Also below is the list of those charged 'horse tax' in 1797, with Ebenezer Coutts appearing seventh on the list and as having one horse.

Ebenezer Coutts lived out the remainder of his life at Drum Lodge (pictured above). By the time of his death there on 17 December 1822, aged 78, he was a widower with no surviving children. His wife Magdalene had died in 1810. His son Robert had died before that in 1803 aged just 31. Robert became Reverend Robert Coutts, and was a minister in Brechin at the time of his death. Prior to becoming a minister, he had for a spell held the chair of Mathematics at St Andrews University. Latterly, Robert had suffered from consumption and came to Largo shortly before his death to visit his father and for a change of air but passed soon afterwards. A man of notable intellect, a book of his sermons was published posthumously and he was still being talked about 70 years later when the Brechin Advertiser (28 October and 18 November 1873) printed a two-part appreciation of his life (excerpt of which is shown below). 

A silhouette image of Robert appears in his book of sermons and is shown at the foot of this post. Silhouette or profile portraiture was the popular way to recreate an image of a person before the invention and widespread use of photography. Robert left behind a wife (Janet McCulloch, daughter of a Dairsie minister) and an infant son named Ebenezer. Six months after his death, his daughter Magdalene was born. Sadly his young son died in 1805, aged 3 years, at Dairsie Manse. His daughter survived into adulthood but died young, like her father, of consumption. A section from the sketch of Robert's life confirms that both root and branches of the Coutts family were now ended.

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!

A previous post has shown an ice-cream van awaiting customers at Massney Braes by the beach at Lundin Links. The above image appears to show the same van but from a different angle on a different day. Probably dating to the early 1930s, there is plenty going on in the picture, so a couple of zoomed in images are shown below. The first image below shows the ice-cream van in more detail on the right. While on the left is a kind of stage - perhaps used by occasional performers (note also the lady reading a newspaper on the sand below this).  Also clearly visible is the old road bridge over the railway line, which was removed in 1970.

The second detailed image at the foot of this post, shows the former joiner's workshop in the upper right (originally the saltworks panhouse). Also visible are the old public toilets (long since demolished) - the white square building with castellated roof just left of centre in front of the trees. All in all there was more in the way of amenity and activity in this spot back then and during this era a bathing pool was very nearly built at the site too.

The circa 1950s view across Lundin Links beach towards Leven, Methil and Buckhaven shows the contrast between the people in the foreground enjoying themselves relaxing in the sun, buying ice-cream and paddling in the sea and the heavy industry taking place in the background. Below are some magnified views of the beach-goers at Massney Braes.

The detail below shows the chimneys and industrial buildings to the west of Largo Bay - among them the Wellesley Colliery (see foot of post). The Wellesley operated from the mid-1880s until 1967. Methil Power Station became a prominent feature from the mid-1960s until 2011. Now wind turbines dot the horizon in this direction.