Old photograph of Dalchenna House by Loch Fyne across from Inveraray Loch Fyne, Scotland. In 1930, after being diagnosed with a chronic duodenal ulcer, the author A. J. Cronin was told he must take six months complete rest in the country on a milk diet. At Dalchenna by Loch Fyne, he was finally able to indulge his lifelong desire to write a novel, having previously " written nothing but prescriptions and scientific papers ". From Dalchenna he travelled to Dumbarton to research the background of the novel, using the files of Dumbarton Library, which still has the letter from Cronin requesting advice on this. He composed Hatter's Castle in the span of three months, and the manuscript was quickly accepted by Gollancz, the only publishing house to which it had been submitted, apparently chosen when his wife randomly stuck a pin into a list of publishers. This novel, which was an immediate and sensational success, launched his career as a prolific author, and he never returned to practising medicine.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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