Dumfries and Galloway Council's museum's curator for the east of the region, Judith Hewitt, has been finding out a wealth of information on one of Dumfries’ famous bygone hostelries from an unexpected, close-at-hand source.
Donald MacLachlan – who has worked in Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura for around 20 years – lived in the County Hotel in the High Street as a boy when it was owned by his family.
The hotel had 50-plus bedrooms and was the biggest in town at the time.
Today, it is Waterstones the booksellers and is a category C-listed building.
Judith was thrilled when Donald offered to share his memories with her and, between the two of them, they have been able to provide a fascinating insight into the history of the building for Standard readers.
Dumfries High Street is rich in history and architecture with the former County Hotel one of the most intriguing locations.
Many Doonhamers still retain happy memories of their time spent at the bustling hotel.
Built as a two-storey five-bay town house for Richard Lowthian (Lothian) early in the 18th Century, the much-loved building, which has a prominence on the town centre streetscape, is also famed for becoming the headquarters of Prince Charles Edward Stuart for three days in 1745.
It saw a number of building alterations during the centuries as well as name changes and new uses.
Originally the first floor had timber panelling throughout and records show that the ground floor was altered and two upper storeys added, probably circa 1860.
Much of the building was demolished in 1984-5 but the facade was retained and the remainder rebuilt with steel frame and the timber panelling of “Prince Charlie’s Room” was largely reinstated and painted.
However, it is Donald MacLachlan’s reminiscences which are now bringing it back to life.
The idea of delving deeper into the building’s past sprang to life when a tablecloth from The County Hotel was donated to Dumfries Museum recently.
Judith said: “It got Donald thinking and remembering, and he shared his thoughts with the museum staff and we thought people would be interested.”
Donald said: “The tablecloths are of, I believe, Irish linen. They are embossed with the county name and the Saint Michael crest – which, of course, would not be seen under all the tableware.
“I remember that there was a room known as the “linen cupboard” on the first floor, run by a Mrs Watson, where it would have been despatched to Shortridges laundry for cleaning.
“My sister and I used to play in the wicker laundry baskets when we were small.
“I remember that the room smelled of soap as all the cakes of soap for the hand basins were stored here. I have many happy memories of the County and feel privileged to have been involved there.
“My grandfather, Hugh MacLachlan, bought the hotel in the 1920s.
“ He was a Gaelic speaker from Oban and had firstly bought the Queensberry Hotel in English Street just after the first world war, which he built up and sold it on. With the money he bought The Commercial and changed the name to The County Hotel and extended it further.
“Hugh married his bar manageress and later in life, when he was in his fifties, my father, Dan, came along.
“My dad was called up to the Navy during the Second World War and served doing convoy escort duties and various other theatres of war.
“Sadly, by the end of the war, my grandfather, Hugh, had died of a heart attack and my grandmother was left in charge of the hotel.
She married a major in the Norwegian Army who was billeted in exile in Dumfries.
“On returning from demob my father was faced with the situation of an ailing hotel – my gran was not a good businesswoman.
“Although he had aspirations of becoming an architect, he took a course in hotel management, obtained a certificate and set to work building up trade.
“My father married my mother, Dorothy, who was known as ‘Doris’ to her friends and, oddly, ‘Jakey’ by my father.
“I came along in early 1949 and for the first year or so I lived in a small suite in the hotel, as did gran with her new husband who was known as just ‘The Major’.
“We moved to a house fairly soon as mother objected to gran’s input on my upbringing.”
Donald still has strong memories of growing up in the family-run business.
He recalled: “The hotel had three steps up to a revolving door. Once inside was a foyer, a seating area with tables for coffee etc on the left and the reception desk in front and a staircase going up towards the cocktail bar and along the corridor to the dining room-ball room and adjacent sun lounge which had glass skylights.
“My father’s private office was on the left along the corridor just after a huge white alabaster plant stand in the shape of a Greek vase sitting in an alcove by a window overlooking the ‘Bull Close’ which ran down the length of the building and separated it from the Golden Bull pub next door.
“At the top of the staircase from the foyer, another staircase took you up to ‘Charlie’s Room’ which was used as a lounge, for overflow from the dining room when events were on, and was used also for small events and parties.
“The room was decorated with shields covered in old flintlock pistols, various swords and a highland targe – a studded circular shield with a mettle boss which was found at the Battle of Preston Pans which was a victory for the rebel army of the 45 – and a large stags head was also mounted on the wall.
“My father’s standing joke was: ‘It must have been running at a hell of a speed to come through the wall like that’ – which raised a smile the first time, but paled a bit with repetition.
Donald remembers fondly: “I had several birthday parties with my pals and school friends at The County with a magician, films like Laurel and Hardy – and sandwiches, ice cream and jelly.”
