from the diary of John Alexander Hutcheson Fraser (1876-1939).

My grandfather was a very capable business man and during all the years of his life at Airds, he spent, each year, a very considerable amount of money improving the property, building new farm steadings and draining the land, for when he purchased Airds from the Campbells, it had been neglected and let for some years to the Cowans.

Soon after he purchased Airds, he began to improve the house and property and the archway into the kitchen courtyard, which he had built, bears the date 1853. He gave the ground and was instrumental in building the Free Church and the Free Church Manse. Mr McDougal afterwards of Fodderty was the first Free Church Minister of Appin.

My grandfather offered land to many of his friends if they would build on the estate. His brother-in-law, D.A. Campbell of Greenock retired and built Barriemore in 1857. Barriemore is, I believe, the Gaelic for a great field.

When I remember it in the 80s and 90s, the trees and hedges had grown up and the grounds and walled gardens with the little paths up the hill at the back were a constant pleasure to we children, and in the summer, Aunt Campbell always had some of her grandchildren staying with her, the Campbells, Marquises or Lloyds.

My grandfather's other brother-in-law, Dr. William Laurie of Greenock also retired and built Drumneil on a front overlooking Airds Bay. In 1870, "Dalnashean" was built for his sister-in-law Mary Fairrie. "Dalnashean" is the Gaelic for the home of the Fairies. I believe my grandfather tried hard to persuade his cousin and greatest friend, John Graham of Edge Lane, Liverpool to build a house near Airds.

At Drumneil, a bowling green was laid down and I can remember in the 80s and early 90s, my grandfather, Uncle Laurie, Dr.Mackay and Donald MacNeven playing there. They were a wonderful quartette and won many matches both at bowls and curling. Dr.Mackay was the doctor for Appin and Lismore and lived at Port Appin. Donald MacNeven was the gamekeeper and lived at the cottage on the road to Shean Ferry and his mother lived in a cottage a little further along towards the ferry. I remember being taken to see her about 1887 when she was a hundred years old. Donald MacNeven was a fine looking man and a good bagpipe player and used to delight we children by walking up and down in front of Airds during dinner. Donald was a fine stalker and my Uncle Johnstone in memory of him had carved on rock at one of his old lookouts at Beach, "Donald's lookout in memory of a great stalker".

Each year, we all spent a month or six weeks at Airds and my first memories are of the train journey from Invergordon to Inverness where we were met by our cousin John, whose mother (my father's eldest sister, Ann) had married another Fraser (William). Cousin John and his eldest brother Tom would help to get us off in a cab to the Muirtown Locks Hotel where we stayed the night. The next morning, we left at 7.30 a.m. by the "Gondolier" for Bonavie, where we got into a coach and were driven to Corpach Pier where we joined the "Mountaineer" for Port Appin, arriving there about twelve hours after leaving Inverness. At Port Appin the Airds carriage met us with a cart for our luggage.

At Airds, we children occupied the old nursery which was attached to the main building by a long semicircular passage with a door near the Hall which shut off the nursery from the rest of the house. It was a lovely playground for children when it was wet and when dry there were trees to climb and a good safe sandy beach to play on. Airds was a most delightful house for children with all its queer old rooms, passages, staircases and attics. I well remember a visit to Airds in May 1883 for I was taken there by my father.

After staying the night at Inverness we went on the next morning by steamer calling at Foyers where father took me to see the then famous Falls of Foyers, then at Fort Augustus he took me to the Monastery School to introduce me to the Master of Lovat who afterwards became Lord Lovat, founder and leader of the Lovat Scouts which were most useful during the South African War. The Master of Lovat was then (1883) thirteen years old and I was seven. Even for a small boy, my father made the long journey interesting with his stories of the places we passed. I felt very lonely at Airds after he left for Islay and Jura where he had some preaching engagements.