Old Photograph Hawkhead Bridge Paisley Scotland

Old photograph of Hawkhead Bridge which spans White Cart Water near Paisley, Scotland. The White Cart Water originates on the edge of Eaglesham moor in East Renfrewshire. It then flows northwards around the South of East Kilbride to Waterfoot. The river forms the boundary between East Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire here before running through the centre of the village of Busby after which it runs around the eastern side of Clarkston and Netherlee where it crosses the Glasgow city boundary into Linn Park, heading downstream to Cathcart. Here, the river turns west, flowing through Pollokshaws and cutting through Pollok Country Park, under the M77 motorway towards Crookston, where it is joined by the River Levern. From Crookston, the river passes the grounds of Leverndale Hospital and then crosses into Renfrewshire and flows through the farmlands of Hawkhead, parallel with the Paisley Canal railway line. On entering the town of Paisley, the river falls over rapids called the Hammils, and flows under two roads, to emerge in the town centre at Paisley Abbey. It then passes under Gauze Street, the Piazza Shopping Centre and Paisley Gilmour Street railway station where it emerges from the Abercorn Bridge, a wide, high arched red sandstone bridge at Old Sneddon Street. From there it runs, mostly hidden from view, towards Glasgow International Airport and Renfrew.



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Old Photograph Whales Whiteness Shetland Islands Scotland

Old photograph of whales on the shore at Whiteness on Mainland Shetland Islands, Scotland. The village lies seven miles north north west of Lerwick. The parish is now merged with Tingwall. In 1903, two whaling stations, operated by Norwegian whaling companies, started in Shetland at Ronas Voe on north west Mainland. The Shetland Whaling Company began whaling in April 1903 with a single whale catcher, the Frithjof. The Norrona Company started in June with the catcher Norrona, They both operated until September and each boat caught just over 60 whales In the following year, two more stations commenced operations, the Norwegian Alexandra Company from a station in Colla Firth, Yell Sound, using one boat in the first year and two boats in each subsequent year, and the Olna Whaling Company, owned by Christian Salveson and Company, opened a station in Olna Firth on the west Mainland coast. Four boats were used in most seasons.



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Old Photograph Pub Perth Perthshire Scotland

Old photograph of people outside a Pub in Perth, Perthshire, Scotland. John Dewar was born in 1806 at the small farm of Shernavil near Aberfeldy. When he left school he served as an apprentice to his elder brother who had a joiner’s business in Aberfeldy. It was when he was aged twenty two that he received an invitation from James Macdonald, a distant cousin, who had a wine merchant’s business in Perth close to the Fair Maid’s House. John liked Perth, liked the job he was in, got married and eight years later was made a partner in the firm. But he was an ambitious man and at the age of forty he set up his own shop in the High Street of Perth. Even in 1846 there was still plenty of illicit whisky produced in the Highlands though with the Act of 1823, which reduced the duty on whisky to 2s 3d per gallon, more and more legal distilleries were set up. The whisky industry, which meant the production of malt whisky, was still a small affair and nearly all the spirit was drunk within the confines of Scotland. John Dewar’s ambitions were relatively modest to begin with and for the first ten years his market was confined to Perth and the surrounding area. He made one important innovation, he started to bottle his whisky and found by these means that not only was he able to sell more locally but was also able to tackle markets further afield. The malt whisky produced at this time varied considerably in age and palatability and was not therefore a particularly popular drink in England. It was the discoveries of the virtues of blended whisky, a mixture of malts and grain whisky, that opened up the English market. John Dewar died before he was able to capitalise on this innovation and it was left to his two sons John and Tommy to create a whisky known throughout the world. To them may be added Alexander Cameron, a man who revolutionised the art of blending and who was responsible for the final blend of Dewar’s whisky which today contains around forty separate whiskies. Tommy was the salesman and travelled all over the world promoting the product. He remained a bachelor, became Baron Dewar and made his home in Sussex. He donated Kinnoull Hill to the people of Perth. John remained in Scotland, was made Baron Forteviot and always retained an intense interest in the affairs of Perth. He worked as a County Councillor and later became MP for Perth and East Perth. He died November 23rd 1929.



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Old Photograph East High Street Newburgh Fife Scotland

Old photograph of houses and women on East High Street in Newburgh, Fife, Scotland. The street is a central part of a historic royal burgh with roots stretching back to the late 12th century. The street reflects the town's evolution from a monastic settlement to a thriving industrial and maritime hub on the banks of the River Tay


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Old Photograph Post Office Hoy Orkney Islands Scotland

Old photograph of the Postman and Post Office on Hoy, an island of the Orkney Islands, Scotland. It is the second largest in the archipelago after the Mainland. It is connected by a causeway called The Ayre to South Walls. In Norse mythology, Hoy is the location of the never ending battle between Hedin and Högni. Orkney Ferries serve the island with two routes, one of which links Lyness on Hoy and Longhope on Walls with the island of Flotta and Houton on the Orkney Mainland. The other route links Moaness in Hoy to the island of Graemsay and Stromness on Orkney Mainland.



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