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A (very) brief history of Skelmorlie

2 Apr 2009
  • Stormy weather on the Clyde coast, Skelmorlie, 1949. Photo by Robert Cathcart.
Here are just a few historical dates:

1502 - Skelmorlie Castle, a tower house on the site of an older structure, built as a stronghold of the Clan Montgomery
1856 - First Church built as a 'Chapel of Ease'
1868 - Skelmorlie developed as a residential resort after the building of a hydropathic hotel; the village became home to many Glasgow tea barons
11 September 1891 - Skelmorlie Golf Club constituted
18 April 1925 - Embankment on the village reservoir gave way, released millions of gallons of water; five people died
1932 - The Attic Players formed
September 1991 - Members of Royal Observer Corps at the underground monitoring post of 23 Post Skelmorlie stood down
1990s - Hotel that developed out of the hydropathic institution demolished
1997 - Skelmorlie Camera Club started
2006 - Skelmorlie and Wemyss Bay Parish Church celebrated its150th anniversary
2008 - Skelmorie and Wemyss Bay reclassified as one small town

Now it's your turn.

Above are just a few important dates - there's far more to the heritage of Skelmorlie. There's a lot of interest in local history, and lots and lots of local knowledge. And here's your chance to tell everyone about it. If you have an interest in the history of Skelmorlie - either in general or in specific points - then you can post it here. There must be many, many pictures of the village from throughout the 20th century - why not post them here, and ask other people what they remember?


Add a comment

25 Apr 2009 | 6:41:58

Robert Cathcart says

I took that photo up there!

25 Apr 2009 | 7:26:04

Site Admin says

Thanks Robert, that solves the mystery then, we'll take your word for it. We found it in The Herald photo archive not attributed to anyone, we'll add it to the caption right away. - Site Admin

16 May 2009 | 6:29:02

Robert Cathcart says

here's another one from twenty four years earlier showing what it looked like when the lower reservoir overtopped !!!

21 Jun 2009 | 10:50:58

Archie Nicol says

Goanae geez a shot on yer Tardis, Mick?

21 Aug 2009 | 6:47:28

Robert Cathcart says

ye can have it while i'm on holiday but don't go near Largs 1263 in it, thats how it got all bashed with stones the last time.

29 Sep 2009 | 5:43:09

Barbara Smith says

'Stormy weather 1949' - We owned Thorndale Hotel for many years and travellers who had struggled through the floods came in to make a phone call (no mobiles then) or a desperate pee or a cup of tea and a sandwich - the flood stopped at our bend in the road.

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