Old Thirsa Piccys

**thirsaloon** · 20-Sep-07, 13:42

Regarding the photo I had put on of the Burnside cottages that used to be there I have added a couple more from a different angle of the other cottages plus a map from 1844 to clear up where they were. They were spaced further along from the Bishops Castle to the left of it on top of the cliff. These were built prior to the one which was situated at the base of the cliff. They were demolished long before living memory as far as I’m aware. The gable end of the cottage in the below photographs can be faintly seen in the distance in the previous photograph I put up.

The first photograph of the cottages you will notice the Bishops Bridge on the right of the picture which spanned the burn. To the left of the bridge you will see a couple of people standing on it. The second photograph shows the ruins of the bridge. The ruins of the Bishops Castle are in the background to the right of the photographs.

I did have a photograph of the cottage at the base of the cliff which you mentioned but unfortunately my pc went belly up and although I had it saved on a cd I can’t get it open now! Dont suppose anyone else has any photographs of this cottage or can tell me what it was like inside? There was a well at the back of this cottage which some of you may remember.

**thirsaloon** · 20-Sep-07, 13:45

Map from 1844 below as mentioned in my previous post.

**Anne x** · 20-Sep-07, 13:56

Thurso from the Air great photo can pick out my old house no problem and it has hardly changed

All the Photos are brilliant well done Thursaloon great job

**thirsaloon** · 20-Sep-07, 14:00

Captain Kettles Picnic Party. Below is fancy dress from Thurso Gala in 1910. The gentleman in the back row to the extreme right wearing the large hat is Anderson who had the Ironmongers shop.

**thirsaloon** · 20-Sep-07, 14:04

Photograph of Traill Street around 1910 with John Keiths the Drapers shop in the background and Lindsays to the left.

**Gleber2** · 20-Sep-07, 14:30

Originally Posted by gleeber

That was my first thought too because i remember one cottage down there. I dont think you would see Thurso castle from down there though. I'll find out at the weekend.
According to Thirsaloon they are where the rocket shed is.
There was also a fever hospital down there just along a wee bit from your friends cottage.

When we we loons, the cottages in question had been levelled but the founds were still there and the old gardens had flowers that weren't wild flowers. The last tennants I remember in the lower cottage were a familly called Newlands.

**Gleber2** · 20-Sep-07, 14:33

Originally Posted by thirsaloon

Map from 1844 below as mentioned in my previous post.

I have never heard of the Old Chapel in this map. Do you have any further information about it?

**thirsaloon** · 20-Sep-07, 15:51

Originally Posted by Gleber2

I have never heard of the Old Chapel in this map. Do you have any further information about it?

Hi Gleber2

The reference to “Old Chapel” on the map is Murray’s Mausoleum. The rectangular roofless building which is on the Victoria Walk. It was built around the mid 1700’s on top of an older chapel which was once there. Its mentioned on other maps also.

**thirsaloon** · 20-Sep-07, 15:54

Originally Posted by Anne x

Thurso from the Air great photo can pick out my old house no problem and it has hardly changed

All the Photos are brilliant well done Thursaloon great job

Thank you Anne, glad your enjoying them!!!

Have some more to put up in the next few days so keep watching!

**Gleber2** · 20-Sep-07, 16:05

Originally Posted by thirsaloon

The reference to “Old Chapel” on the map is Murray’s Mausoleum. The rectangular roofless building which is on the Victoria Walk. It was built around the mid 1700’s on top of an older chapel which was once there.

Cheers for that. I had many childhood fantasies arround that building. I had no idea it had beeen built on top of a much older building.

**highlander** · 20-Sep-07, 17:59

Here is some interesting facts about the "old chapel"
http://www.caithness.org/caithnessfi...dmausaleum.htm

**thirsaloon** · 21-Sep-07, 13:41

Scabster Harbour around 1910

And Scrabster House also around 1910 note the lack of trees unlike today

**thirsaloon** · 21-Sep-07, 13:44

Scrabster from the lighthouse 1918

**thirsaloon** · 21-Sep-07, 13:47

Davidsons House

Shore Street around 1900

**Anne x** · 21-Sep-07, 15:54

so thirsaloon when were the Council houses at far end of Shore st built at the bottom end before you go down the brae ?

**plasticjock** · 21-Sep-07, 16:20

This thread gets better and better, although I noticed that the 'Weekers' are are making a belated but half-hearted attempt at catching up. Perhaps they don't look upon old Wick with nostalgic affection?

The picture below was found on the web and is merely identified as 'Seaforth Highlanders Pipe Band march through Thurso'. I'm unable to identify the location. Any ideas?

**thirsaloon** · 21-Sep-07, 16:44

Originally Posted by plasticjock

This thread gets better and better, although I noticed that the 'Weekers' are are making a belated but half-hearted attempt at catching up. Perhaps they don't look upon old Wick with nostalgic affection?

The picture below was found on the web and is merely identified as 'Seaforth Highlanders Pipe Band march through Thurso'. I'm unable to identify the location. Any ideas?

Hi plasticjock!

Long live the Thirsa Piccys thread, even Thirsaloon had to help the weekers out on their thread hehehehe! I wonder which thread has had the most amount of views on the Org. I think if we keep this up we may be getting close!

As far as I know the photograph is actually Castletown. I have seen a few postcards/photographs etc from Halkirk/Castletown marked as Thurso for the sake of it being a few miles away!

I do know of another photograph similar to the one you posted but the men are all lined up and it is taken in Castletown.

**plasticjock** · 21-Sep-07, 17:33

Originally Posted by thirsaloon

Hi plasticjock!

Long live the Thirsa Piccys thread, even Thirsaloon had to help the weekers out on their thread hehehehe! I wonder which thread has had the most amount of views on the Org. I think if we keep this up we may be getting close!

......

If you go to the Forums/General page and click on Views (r/hand side) it will sort the hits in descending order. This thread is top of the list with over 19,000 visits. Wick photos comes in at just under 6000.
WE are way ahead.

Thanks for the info re: Seaforths. I'm disappointed it's not Thurso but happy that there has been a (fairly) positive i.d.

**fred** · 21-Sep-07, 20:06

Originally Posted by highlander

Here is some interesting facts about the "old chapel"
http://www.caithness.org/caithnessfi...dmausaleum.htm

Interesting yes, facts I'm afraid not. The calculations for the number of Murrays buried there are seriousl flawed. Pennyland didn't come into the hands of the Murray family till 1559, there was no Murray of Clairdon till 1568, no Murray of Scotscalder till 1663, no Murray of Castlehill till the 1770s. They weren't four separate families, they were all the same family all descended from William Murray who took Pennyland in 1559.