Object: Gold Medal

Date: 20th C

Description: A gold medal presented by The Sunday Mail to Betty Wilson (of Helensburgh) for completing the swim from Toward to Rothesay in July 1930. The course was a distance of 2½ miles and the winner of this medal completed it in 1 hour and 32 minutes.

Origin: This was the second year of the ‘Big Swim’. Crowds of thousands gathered at the starting point opposite Toward Castle and the finishing point at the Bathing Station Rothesay. 15 swimmers took part and the winner, EM Temme from London (an English Channel swimmer) finished in a time of 1 hour and 15 minutes. Whilst waiting for the race to start the huge crowd at Rothesay were entertained by the Glasgow Southside Ladies giving an exhibition of ‘trick swimming’. The medal was purchased online.