From the National Archives of Scotland
Document of the Month (July)
An architectural sketch of a design for a cast-iron
seaside shelter made by the firm of Walter Macfarlane &
Co around 1900 (ref RHP32728).
By the mid-nineteenth century day trips out of the
cities became increasingly popular as a more efficient
transport network developed. When an annual week's summer
holiday (often unpaid) became an established part of
working life, trips to seaside 'resort' towns became
particular popular.
Towns such as North Berwick, Ayr and Saltcoats developed
facilities especially to attract summer visitors. Special
trains were introduced for day-trippers and seafront hotels
built for those intending a longer stay. Town councils
hoping to attract visitors often constructed promenades
with attractions such as open-air swimming pools, public
parks and attractive shelters such as the one depicted in
this document.
Walter Macfarlane & Co., the engineering firm who
produced this sketch, created many of the pieces of beach
and park furniture (such as bandstands) that were purchased
by Scottish councils in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth century. From their Saracen Works in Possilpark,
Glasgow, they had become, by 1900 (the approximate date
of this advertisement), one of the biggest iron foundries
in Scotland, employing over 1,000 staff.
Walter Macfarlane (1817 - 1885), the founder of the
firm, was one of Scotland's many self-made
industrialists.
Despite the increase in the availability of foreign
package holidays, the importance of tourism to Scottish
resorts is still recognised. Local councils, therefore,
often invest in the upkeep of promenades and pieces of
decorative ironwork, such as this shelter.
Previous Documents of the Month
- May
Treaty of Perpetual Peace
- June
Register of Sasines
National Archives of Scotland is the agency of the Scottish Executive which
preserves the records of the Scottish nation.
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