Dreich Early Winter Road Trip Drive On Visit To Arncroach Fife Scotland

Tour Scotland travel video of an early Winter dreich road trip drive, with Scottish music, on ancestry visit to Arncroach village in Fife. Dreich is a Scots word for dull and cloudy weather. Arncroach is situated at the foot of Kellie Law, a small hill which is visible from as far as the Firth of Forth, within the parish of Carnbee. Arncroach once had two schools, despite it only being a very small village. One was a boys school and the other was for girls. Children living in the village and surrounding area now have to travel to Pittenweem or Colinsburgh Primarys, and Waid Academy in Anstruther in the East Neuk of Fife for secondary education. William Wheeler was born in Kinghom, Fife, in 1845 or 1846. After serving an apprenticeship in Kirkford, Cowdenbeath, he went to Glasgow to work as a foreman. He returned to Fife, to Kirkcaldy, but within a year moved to Amcroach around 1877. He established himself first as a wheelwright and joiner. The 1881 Census Return for Amcroach, in the Parish of Cambee, lists William Wheeler as a carpenter and master of two boys, married, with four children. He later branched into furniture making, and was by all accounts very successful, earning a reputation for well made furniture. He established a very good connection with the architect and furniture designer Robert S. Lorimer, born 186 4, died 1929, who took up a lease of Kellie Castle near Amcroach, shortly after Wheeler settled in the village. Robert Lorimer’s early furniture design was much informed by the Arts and Crafts Movement; and it was appropriate then that he should have engaged local craftsmen such as Wheeler to execute his designs. During the 1890s in particular, Wheeler worked closely with Lorimer, making some of the furniture Lorimer submitted to the triennial Arts and Crafts Exhibitions in London, England. The surname Wheeler was first found in Worcestershire. England, where they held a family seat from ancient times, before and after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Over the years, many variations of the name Wheeler were recorded, including Wheeler, Wheler, Wheller and others. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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