This early photograph of the recently completed Esplanade shows the layout with the Russell Bandstand, donated by Thomas Russell and manufactured at the Saracen Foundry in Glasgow. On the hill is the old Academy building, with the West and St John’s Churches on the...
Date: 19th c Description: A long thin piece of a needlework worked in wool with a design of stylized flowers in green, white and red. Along the top is embroidered ‘Grace Edgar 1 Alma Terrace Rothesay 22.11.1877’ Origin: Grace Edgar was born in Moffat on 13th July...
Description: Military Medal, a medal awarded for acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire. Awarded to Sergeant-Wheeler J Findlay. His citation reads ‘For bravery at Roclincourt on the night of the 1st/2nd April 1917, when taking up ammunition to Trench Mortar...
Description: A group of World War I medals won by Alexander McKinnon. They include the Military Medal, a medal awarded for acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire. His citation reads ‘During the battle of Englefontaine on the morning of Nov 4th 1918, this...
Description: The Deed Box belonging to the Rothesay Cotton Mill Society which was instituted in 1792. The box is made of walnut with a brass plate on the lid. It required two keys to open it, each key being held by a different person, ensuring that there were always...
Description: A 1917 penny mounted in a frame and gilded. It was presented to Provost James McMillan. The inscription reads ‘Rothesay Harbour Trust. First Toll taken at Pier turnstile 2.4.17. Paid by James McMillan Provost’ Origin: From April 1917, every passenger...
Description: A substantial padlock with its original key from the Tolbooth in Rothesay. The Tolbooth was the main municipal building in a Scottish burgh and would have a meeting room, courthouse and a jail. The second Rothesay Tolbooth was built in 1614, a bell-house...
The staff of D.C. Murray’s shop in Montague Street John Kernaghan, Ian Jardine, Alistair Speirs, Elizabeth Speirs,unknown, Vera Cameron, Harry Thomson, Joe McNeil, Martin Gillies (P03-3448, B9.27) (Business)
This view, around 1903, was taken from High Street looking over to Barone Road and shows the Meadows and pavilion.Note that only the top two properties have been built at the top end of Auchnacloich Road. In Frank Arneil Walker’sbook Architecture of Argyll and Bute...
Object: Carved Oak ChairDate: 19th centuryDescription: Solid oak chair with heavily carved back, with pierced fretwork in the Gothic style. This isone of a set of five chairs. A silver plaque on the back reads ‘Presented by the Marquis of Bute to theMagistrates of...
Object: Prison DoorDate: 19th CDescription: Door from Rothesay Jail. Following the demolition of the Tolbooth, the prison was situated besidethe County Buildings in High Street. Life was hard for a prisoner, who would be occupied in the activitiesof stone breaking,...
Object: Bottle of Jordan WaterDate: 20th cDescription: A clear glass bottle from Bute Medical Hall containing ‘Water from Jordan brought by J KingHewison 1909’. It is topped with an olive wood stopper.Origin: James King Hewison was minister of the High Kirk in...
Object: Saddle QuernDate: NeolithicDescription: A saddle quern with rubbing stone. The base of schistose grit is broken and probably half itsoriginal length, now 360mm x 270mm. The upper stone is oval porphyritic basalt with one face smooth,dimensions 240mm x 165mm x...
Object: Sharpening StoneDate: NeolithicDescription: A sharpening stone made from weathered basalt. Four sided, with each side showing signsof use. Length 60mm tapering to 40 mmOrigin: In the late 19th century and early 20th century, a gravel pit at Townhead was being...
Object: Enamel signDate: 20th centuryDescription: Enamel on metal warning sign, advising people to exercise care when taking out one of themany rowing boats available for hire. Approximately 20cms.Origin: From one of the boat-hiring stations along the Esplanade. There...
Object: Flint ScraperDate: NeolithicDescription: Flint scraper from the Neolithic burial cairn at Glecknabae. 35mm long by 35wide narrowingto 15mm.Origin: In 1903 Professor Thomas H Bryce undertook explorations of all the known tumuli on the islandof Bute. One of the...
Object: Silver Groat Date: 14th c Description: A Scottish silver groat from the reign of Robert II. Minted in Edinburgh. The groat was worth fourpence. Origin: Robert II succeeded his Uncle, David II, to become King of Scots in 1371. He reigned until 1390. Robert II...
Object: Carving from PS Duchess of FifeDate: 20th cDescription: A wooden carving from the paddle box of the Paddle Steamer Duchess of Fife. The carvingrepresents the arms of the Duchess of Fife who was Louise, the Princess Royal, granddaughter ofQueen Victoria.Origin:...
Object: Wooden Plaque Date: 20th c Description: Wooden plaque carved by a former German P.O.W. commemorating the campaigns in which the 241 (2nd Bute) Anti-Tank Battery Royal Artillery served. The Unit was formed in 1939 under the command of Major ATJ Maclagan and...
Object: Watercolour Painting of a Puffer Date: 20th c Description:. Watercolour painting of Pibroch in Rothesay Bay. Puffers were the workhorses of the Clyde estuary and West Coast, carrying anything and everything. The Pibroch was launched in 1923 and serviced the...
Object: Crest from X-Craft Date: 20th C Description: Brass crest mounted on a wooden shield. This crest came from midget submarine HMS/M Excitable XE12. This craft was one of the second group of midget submarines. It was built by Marshall in 1944 and paid off in 1952....
Object: Pottery Container Date: 19th century Description: Pottery container inscribed ‘Mrs R Sharp, No 8 Laidside (sic) St, Rothesay’. These houses were demolished many years ago. Mrs Sharp’s daughter Janet married Alexander Stewart, the blacksmith at Ambrisbeg Smiddy...
Object: Customs Seal Date: 19th century Description: A brass seal with the words ‘Customs Rothesay Station’. The Custom House was in High Street in the building known as the Mansion House. Built in 1680 for George Cunningham, this was the largest house in Rothesay at...
Object: Draughtsman Date: Medieval Description: A bone gaming piece with an incised decoration, probably from a set of Draughts. Origin: Found at Rothesay Castle when the 3rd Marquis of Bute commissioned work to be done in the 19th c.
Object: Destination Boards Date: 20th c Description: Destination board from the Paddle Steamer Talisman. There were two vessels of that name, the first built in 1896 and the second in 1935. The name part is from the Talisman, the place name boards are from a...
Object: Knocking Stone Date: Medieval Description: Knocking stones were made out of large boulders or were sometimes cut into bedrock. They were hollowed out in the centre. Their purpose was the pounding of grain or roots using a rounded stone or a wooden mell. Husks...
Object: Sixpence Coin Date: 20th c Description: A 1958 sixpence in a Royal Mint box. This sixpence was given to Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Rothesay in 1958 so that she could give it back! The Queen was to be presented with a dirk for Prince Charles (Duke of...
Object: Marble Peevers Date: 20th century Description : A pair of marble peevers. These were used for playing hopscotch and most children used an empty boot polish tin or a flat stone. These two, white marble peevers belonged to Janet and Margaret McCrone who...
Object: Photo Archive Date: 20th century Description : Muir’s Bakery This photograph shows the bakery behind Muir’s Bakery shop in High Street. The bread boards for distributing the bread and other produce can be seen stacked under the work bench. (P03-3559,...
Object: Photo Archive Date: 20th century Description : Rothesay Male Voice Choir was formed in 1928 and this photo was taken on the stage of the Winter Garden after an annual concert in the 1930s. Back Row Left to Right J.S.Slaven, J.McLea, A.MacQueen, T.Kirkwood,...
Object: Photo Archive Date: 20th century Description : Green Transport The Bute Creamery delivery method in the early 1960s (P14-0182, B9.46)
Object: Photo Archive Date: 20th century Description : Bridge Street in the 1960s (P03-2163, B11-14)
Object: Photo Archive Date: 20th century Description : Pointing Porters The pointing porters were a Rothesay tradition, plying their trade on Rothesay Pier. A bargain was struck to carry passenger luggage from the boat to the guest house by the mean of pointing. ...
Object: Photo Archive Date: 19th century Description : West Bay c. 1881 This early postcard shows Argyle Street and Argyle Place long before the Pavilion was built. The old Rothesay Academy building is on the hill and Queen’s Hotel can be seen as well as the gap in...
Object: Photo Archive Date: 20th century Description : Rothesay Pier and Inner Harbour 1903 (P03-2720, B13.49)
Object: Photo Archive Date: 19th century Description : Rothesay Pier showing cab rest c.1888 (P03-2710, B13.38)