The above image of Largo Station is from the North British Railway Study Group's photographic collection. It is undated but looks to be from the inter-war period. The station masters during this era were William Simpson (circa 1902 to 1920), James Young (1920-29), Peter Low (1929-1935) and Alexander Thomson (1935-40). The detail below shows the Durham Hall (originally a school) in the left background and a carriage in the sidings.

​Note also the advertising around the station. There is an advert for The Scotsman newspaper above the Largo sign, a Tennent's Lager sign on the fence and a poster for Ely Cathedral on the side of the station building. Ely Cathedral is in Cambridgeshire - I wonder whether any locals were inspired to go and visit it? And was there a poster for Largo put up somewhere down there?

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.

This is the 'Glenfinnan' approaching Largo having passed Viewforth (see buildings to the right on the shore). The image, which appeared in the July 1964 'Railway World' magazine, was captured by WJV Anderson in August of 1957 - which was exactly 100 years after the opening of the line. To the left of the line is the poultry farm at Buckthorns Farm. 

The magazine article noted that "like many other lines in Britain, the East Fife is under threat of closure. If the Beeching economic axe does chop it off, the memories will never be erased". Of course the axe did fall and the line closed in September 1965 to passenger traffic (with some goods services continuing for a brief spell thereafter).

The Glenfinnan locomotive had met its demise in 1960 after almost fifty years of service. An image of it being cut up can be seen here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/93456400@N04/14742346492

If you have memories of the railway through Largo and Lundin Links, please comment!

Two wonderful photographs to share today from blog reader Ian Downie, showing a steam train passing behind The Temple, Lower Largo in Spring of 1965. Both images were taken from the back of Rollo Villa.

The upper image is looking towards Bourtree Brae (seen above first carriage of train) and Cardy House (visible to left of train). The map below marks the direction of the shot. Interestingly, the image features the white-gated Serpentine level crossing (shown in detail in inset) - the means of crossing the railway line for users of the Serpentine path. There was a similar level crossing next to Cardy House and another to the east at Viewforth.

Below is a shot of the same train, taken from the same spot, but facing north east, as the locomotive heads in the direction of Viewforth and Dumbarnie Links, where marvellous sea views could be enjoyed by passengers. These photographs provide a great sense of what it must have been like to have these steam engines powering along right next to the houses and gardens of Largo and are especially poignant as in the same year that these images were captured, the line closed to passenger trains.

With many thanks to Ian Downie

John M. Fairlie came to Lundin Links station in October 1928, after five years at Aberfoyle station. He replaced Mr Henry Wilson who had been promoted to Oakley near Dunfermline after two years at Lundin Links. Mr Fairlie was born in 1869 in Killearn in Stirlingshire and was one of eight children. His father Archibald was a 'carrier' who delivered goods and was probably involved at the local railway station. By the age of 21, John had become a railway booking clerk in Glasgow. His work with the railways saw him move around over the years but Lundin Links was to be John Fairlie's last station. He retired in 1932 after 45 years service with the railways. His replacement at Lundin Links was female station master, Elizabeth Scott. Mr Fairlie's retirement spanned twenty years, until he died in 1952 at the age of 83.

Pictured above is Mrs Elizabeth Scott - stationmistress at Lundin Links during the 1930s. Born Elizabeth Smith Urquhart, her father and grandfather had both been railway men and she herself became the wife of Grantshouse stationmaster William Scott. When her husband died at an early age in 1922, she was able to take on the role herself.  Soon after being widowed, Elizabeth was appointed stationmistress at Gilmerton, where she remained for eight years before moving to Invergarry station.

As the Berwickshire News (21 July 31) stated at the time of her move north: "the capable hands of women have stretched far into man's domains and there are now very few positions held by man that his "better half" could not capably fill." With her pet black labrador Jim alerting her to approaching trains, Mrs Scott thrived in her role and also enjoyed tending the station garden - winning prizes in competitions for her station's appearance.

Being a native of Kingskettle, Mrs Scott must have desired to return to Fife and made the move to Lundin Links in 1932. She remained at Lundin Links station throughout the 1930s and into the war years. However, she died suddenly on 15 September 1941 at the station house, aged 52. The Scotsman of 16 September reported that "she was one of the few women stationmasters in Scotland and was well-known to summer visitors to Lundin Links". The Fife Free Press of 20 September stated that "she was well known and liked by all who came in contact with her. She was of a cheery nature and could turn her hand to most of the jobs at the station and carried out her duties faithfully and well". Elizabeth was buried at St Boswells.

This c1900 photograph of Lower Largo Harbour area is taken from a pedestrian's perspective, so gives a wonderful impression of what it might have been like to walk from Drummochy, across the wooden footbridge, over to Harbour Wynd and perhaps onward up to Largo Station.  The detail is excellent in this image, giving a feel for daily life at that time. Note the cart tracks in the dirt road, taking a turn down into the Keil Burn. Those using wheeled transport (before the 1914 opening of the harbour road bridge) would have to ford the burn, passing under the footbridge and the railway viaduct, before coming back up onto the road on the other side close to the heckle house of the old mill. 

​In the close-up below, the carts are lined up next to Bridgend House and its adjacent stables.  This is where the Elder family ran a carting and cab hire business. The Belmont Temperance Hotel is clearly seen in its elevated position close to the station.  The footbridge over the railway line is in the top left. In the foreground, a gate spans half of the path leading to the footbridge. At the time of this photograph, the Keil Burn could be crossed by railway, using the footbridge or by using the ford (which was marked out by old mooring posts and stone edgings). Today the road bridge offers the only easy crossing.

The above image shows golfers at the 5th hole on Leven Links probably in the early years of the twentieth century.  In the background are the buildings of Sunnybraes Farm - the first buildings seen when approaching Lundin Links from Leven.

There are three distinct clumps of trees in the image (see map below from c1912): one in the middle of the field on the far side of the main road (long since removed), one between Sunnybraes and Aithernie (since largely built upon) and one running down the slope from Aithernie (now the Old Manor Hotel) towards the railway station (these trees are also mostly gone and modern housing has been built in the area).

The railway line and telephone posts can be seen running between the Leven Links and the land that was part of Sunnybraes Farm but became part of the Lundin Golf Course. Note the roughness of the golf course, aside from the green itself.  The flag seems to be on a bamboo cane. The map below gives more detail of the area, including the presence of a 'sheep fold' at the corner of the Leven Road and Pilmuir Road.

The previous post looked at former forester on the Lundin Estate - Neil Shaw.  His family were the original occupants of Lundin Lodge (pictured above), the old lodge house for the long-demolished mansion Lundin House.  Shaw was a native of the island of Islay, who found his way to Lundin Estate because of a man named George Todd Chiene.  Chiene was born at Crail on 21 August 1809, son of Captain John Chiene of the Royal Navy.  Educated at Edinburgh High School he became the factor for Mr Campbell of Islay.  As Islay's factor, Chiene had a key role in the running of the estate - perhaps overseeing the maintenance of the land and buildings, collecting rent, dealing with tenants, arranging insurance, undertaking inspections,etc. Chiene carried out this role for at least a decade - approximately between 1837 and 1847.  It would have been during this spell that he became acquainted with Neil Shaw.

​Chiene was noted as an "intelligent, indefatigable and hospitable factor" to Mr Campbell and was also referred to as 'Chamberlain of Islay' (ie in charge of managing the household of the island's foremost figure). But, as mentioned in the previous post, times became hard on Islay as a consequence of the potato famine and Campbell (a relation of Daniel Campbell of Shawfield) ended up bankrupt. George Todd Chiene would soon be on the move and he would be taking Neil Shaw with him.  Chiene became factor on the Lundin Estate around the time that it was purchased by the Standard Life Assurance Company.  In 1852, the company purchased the estate as an investment and development opportunity.  The railway was soon to reach Lundin Links and Largo and would trigger the initial attempts to expand Lundin Links into a planned village of upmarket villas.  We can assume that Chiene had a facilitating role to play in this venture.  

The building of the extension railway line from Leven along through Lundin Links and Largo to Kilconquhar in the mid-1850s could well have been something that Shaw and Chiene contributed to.  The advert below shows an example of another forester nearby at the time advertising wood for railway sleepers - could Shaw have done this at Lundin Links?

Chiene continued to be responsible for Lundin Estate for many years.  While the main home base for him, his wife and children was in Northumberland Street in Edinburgh, he would have spent a significant amount of time at Lundin House. The 1855 valuation roll lists Chiene as the tenant occupier of 'Mansion House of Lundin'.  After the railway reached Lundin Links in 1857, Standard Life drew up feuing plans for the village and began to build on some of the feus to attract potential buyers. Among the buildings erected at that time was the original station building at Lundin Links, Homelands, a few villas on Crescent Road and Lundin Lodge.

​George Todd Chiene was elected Captain of Lundin Golf Club (at the age of 60) in 1869, the year after the Club was first founded. His election came after the autumn meeting where the 'Standard' medal was played for and won by his son, George Todd Chiene, Jr (then aged 25). This was reported in the Edinburgh Evening Courant on 11 October 1869. There is no record of Neil Shaw playing golf but I imagine he must have played on the course with George Chiene.  The pair were undoubtedly close as the Shaws named one of their children after one of Chiene's. 'Dorothea Chiene Shaw' was born in 1871, twenty one years after Dorothea Chiene, George's eldest daughter was born.

​On 17 June 1882 George Todd Chiene died at Burntisland aged 72.  Some mystery surrounds the latter part of Neil Shaw's life.  There are no death records for him, his wife or his forester sons.  I speculate that the family may have emigrated to Canada, where there was much British interest in the timber trade, including among the Gilmour family which had bought the Lundin Estate in 1872.  I wonder what Neil Shaw would make of the fact that a hole at the Lundin Golf Club is still named after him and what he would think of the busy farm shop and cafe that has sprung up next to his former home (see image at foot of post). 

Finally, it's worth noting that two of Chiene's sons had interesting life stories.  Eldest son John became Professor of Surgery at Edinburgh University and worked with Sir John Goodsir (a theme worth returning to in the future).  Second son George followed in his father's footsteps as a Chartered Accountant, an auditor for Standard Life, a factor for several Fife Estates and Captain of Innerleven Golf Club.  In fact, the Chiene company of Chartered Accountants continues on to this day in Edinburgh and you can read about the firm's history here.

This view from the dunes at Lundin Links, looking to the rear of the Lundin Golf Club (on the left), and Station Road (on the right), probably dates to the late 1920s. The golf club house has been extended from its original form. The large house at the top right of the shot is Beffens and its neighbour to the right (The Gables) is yet to be erected. On the other side of Beffens is Westhall and then Manderlea (then a boarding house). The shop of Alex Patrick the golf club maker is in the centre of the picture - between the vintage cars and the railway line.  The house and workshop of his brother David is just beyond Manderlea but situated on Golf Road.