Memories of holidays in Cairndow by Marion Luke 2014
As long as I can remember, I have come to Cairndow on holiday. My first memory is coming to my Gran Luke’s with my Mum and Dad and later with my wee Brother, Duncan. My Gran lived at Croitachonie with her younger sister, Katie McNair.
At that time we lived at Toward. My Father was Head Gardener at Toward Castle. To get to Cairndow, we had to walk from our house, down to the main road, to catch a bus which took us to Dunoon, where we had to wait for Montgomery’s bus to take us to St. Catherines. There we had to hire a car from Duncan Munro (Stoner), who drove us the rest of the way to my Grans’ at Cairndow.
Travelling on Montgomery’s Bus was an adventure for a wee girl. It carried much and stopped a lot, to deliver goods, not only passengers. One time, which stays in my memory, there was a calf, tied up in a hessian bag, with its head sticking out.
Dad’s cousin, “Aunt” Alice and her daughter, “wee Alice” visited Gran at Croitachonie, as did all the family. Years later “wee Alice” told me, they had to sit quietly while visiting and could not believe my brother, Duncan, and I were allowed to run all over the house, making lots of noise!! One day the Minister came to call and thought it was the two old ladies making the noise!
When Gran and Auntie Katie were no longer at Croiachonie, we stayed at Glaschoine for our holidays. Duncan and I enjoyed the freedom to run about in the field and down the shore, where I messed around with my cousins, Alice and Margaret, just doing what children do. I liked to help bring in the cow from the hill behind Glaschoine and watch Aunt Alice do the milking.
My brother, Duncan, liked to be taken out in the boat fishing and was very pleased with himself when he caught two mackerel.
There were many happy family occasions, including, when Alice and Walter’s daughter Rachel, was christened.
When Alice and Walter were first married they lived at Cladich. I went there for my holidays. Walter had to come to Inveraray to get me off the bus. Later they moved to Cuil, and to several other houses on the estate. Wherever Alice has stayed, I have continued to spend my holidays. I am “first in line” for Alice’s home baking and raspberry jam.
Now our families are all grown up and have families of their own, but they still like to come and visit Cairndow.
I still come to Cairndow for my holidays. Alice and I go for walks round the gardens and the Pinetum and down to the shore to look at the scenery and then back to the house for a cup of coffee and try to do the crosswords and the Suduko in the paper.
Marion Luke 2014 (Daughter of Duncan and Mysie Luke)
