EDINBURGH ECCENTRICS: ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH'S 44 SCOTLAND STREET SERIES

The series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith known as the ’44 Scotland Street Series’, which started out as a series in The Scotsman, presents us with an interesting collection of characters who inhabit the address of the title, among them the child prodigy Bertie and his insufferable mother, Angus Lordie and his beer-loving dog with a gold tooth Cyril, always with one eye on tempting ankles to bite, and the anthropologist Domenica MacDonald.  Although the stories are fictional, the street and the favourite hangouts of the characters  are real places in the elegant New Town district of Edinburgh.

New Town is something of a misnomer, since this part of Edinburgh, considered to be a masterpiece of city planning, was actually built in the mid-to-late 18^th century.  The part of Edinburgh now known as Old Town had become intolerably overcrowded, necessitating an overspill of the population into another area.  Although the stone used in the construction of the buildings has a rather dour, dark appearance, the architectural styles make up for it, with the neo-classical style prevailing and the inclusion of Grecian pillars on the outsides as well as other embellishments in the interiors.  Moray Place, which features in the series, is a typical example.

Moray Place, Edinburgh New Town. Photo by Kim Traynor, via Wikimedia Commons

So where do the characters hang out?  The delicatessen Valvona and Crolla in Elm Row is a favourite source of upmarket edibles.  The deli has a cafe bar attached and is an institution in Edinburgh.  The goods on sale there include a variety of coffee called Scotland Street in homage to its role in the series.  Angus and Cyril like to visit The Cumberland Bar in Cumberland Street, which describes itself as a classic Victorian New Town bar.  It has been reported that the owner of the bar once ran up to McCall Smith in Waitrose to thank him for the extra business his bar’s new found fame had brought him.  The Cafe St Honore in Thistle Street was the scene of an intimate lunch in The World According to Bertie.  Another cafe called Glass & Thompson, in Dundas Street, which was visited by the Glasgow gangster Lard O’Connor, has sadly closed recently.

Cyril the dog gets about a bit, especially on the occasion when he is stolen and manages to escape from his captor.  The canal where he has his encounter with a group of eider ducks is presumably the Union Canal which links Glasgow and Edinburgh, while the river which reminds him of his early life in the Hebrides would be the nearby Water of Leith, which flows out into the sea at Leith.  Drummond Street Gardens is the scene of a brief canine love affair which results in six puppies, an event which elicited a huge response from readers worldwide.  

Water of Leith01. Photo by Christian Bickel, via Wikimedia Commons

Fans of the books who want to visit these and other places written about may be interested to know that in 2016 an app was launched by Global called the Alexander McCall Smith App, which features walking trails and quizzes.

Map of the city

POLDARK REVISITED: THE GRAND HOUSES

The latest Poldark series is now upon us, and for this second piece on the locations used in the filming, rather than the gorgeous Cornish coastline, which I have already extensively covered in a previous piece, I thought I would focus on the grand houses occupied by the more well-to-do characters.  There are principally three of these, none of which are in Cornwall.

One house which has been seen since the start of the first series is the home occupied by Elizabeth and her family, Trenwith.  The property which was used for filming the interior and exterior scenes of Trenwith is Chavenage House, an Elizabethan house located near Prince Charles’ Highgrove in Tetbury, Gloucestershire.  The interior of the chapel at Chavenage was used to represent Sawle Church.  The house has a fascinating history; one of its former guests was Oliver Cromwell and his general Ireton, who stayed there in 1648.  Visitors to the house will get a guided tour included in the ticket price, during which, as well as the history of the property, they will hear about the various ghosts lurking in its darkest recesses.

Chavenage House 3 - geograph - 3507432. Photo by Philip Halling, via Wikimedia Commons.

Another imposing property inhabited by members of the Poldark upper crust is the house known as Killewarren, home to the Penvenen family, formerly the now deceased uncle of Caroline, Ray Penvenen, and more recently by Caroline and her husband Dr Dwight Enys.  The house portraying Killewarren is Great Chalfield Manor, a short distance west of Melksham in Wiltshire, owned by the National Trust.  The 15^th century moated manor house was built for a clothier who was a member of the local landed gentry.  Visitors to the property must join a guided tour in order to explore the manor house.  The garden, in the Arts and Crafts style, includes features such as topiary and a rose garden.  The southern aspect, with its grassy expanse leading down to the tranquil pond, will be familiar to Poldark fans.  This is where Caroline and Dwight were seen enjoying a moment together in a recent episode.

Great Chalfield Manor - 11. Photo by Stuart Buchan, via Wikimedia Commons.

In the more recent series of Poldark we have unfortunately been increasingly exposed to the odious George Warleggan, whose Georgian town house is filmed at Dyrham Park, a National Trust property in South Gloucestershire, just to the south of the M4 motorway.  Convenient for Bath, this 17^th century mansion with its garden and deer park will take up the best part of a day out.  The house itself is full of artistic treasures, while the grounds offer extensive walking and the Orangery offers an insight into an 18^th century greenhouse.  The deer park is home to some 200 fallow deer.   The estate has been used before for filming, including for the film version of Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains Of The Day.

Dyrham Park lower park. Photo by Rwendland, via Wikimedia Commons.

OTTER PARADISE: RING OF BRIGHT WATER/ISLAND OF SEIL

Ring of Bright Water, based on a true story which was the subject of a book by Gavin Maxwell, was made in 1969, but the story it is based on has a timeless appeal, as do the locations used in the film.  The story begins in London, where an office worker called Graham Merill is drawn to an otter in a pet shop (Did they really sell otters in pet shops?).  He takes it home and names it Mij, but quickly realises that a flat in London is no place for an otter, so he buys a ramshackle old house in the wilds of West Scotland and sets up home there with his new friend.

As Merill makes his way to his new home by train we get a glimpse of the Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous in the Harry Potter films and one of the key points along the Jacobite Steam Train route.  On arrival, the village nearest to the house is a typical little Scottish fishing hamlet, with rows of simple one-storey houses.  In real life the village is Ellenabeich on the Island of Seil, not entirely an island, being connected to the ‘mainland’ by the Atlantic Bridge, or the “Bridge Over the Atlantic”.  One of the most prominent businesses in the village is The Oyster Bar; this was the M. A. Cameron General Stores in the film.  

The Oyster Brewery, Ellenabeich. - geograph.org.uk - 457322 Photo by Steve Partridge, via Wikimedia Commons

Oban, which lies 10 miles to the north, also plays a role in the film, when Mij’s owner goes to buy fish for the otter.  The Railway Pier in Oban is the location of the fishing port where the fish sale takes place.  Another location featured in the film is the Firth of Lorne, where the scene depicting the hunt for the Basking Shark was filmed.  The Firth occupies an area of sea off the south-east edge of the island of Mull.

And what of the real story of Gavin Maxwell and his otters?   The writer named the place where he brought them up Camusfearna in the book, in order to hide the true location, which was in fact Sandaig near Glenelg on the mainland opposite Skye.

Beach at Sandaig - geograph.org.uk - 916465. Photo by Peter Jones, via Wikimedia Commons

The Island of Seil is the northernmost of the Slate Islands.  Finding your way here from the A816 from Oban can be confusing – you need to follow the sign pointing to Easdale.  Easdale is another island just offshore, but this whole area is often referred to as Easdale.  As well as sampling the delights of The Oyster Bar, visitors can take a boat trip with Seafari Adventures, who have a base in the village.  There is also a large gift shop called Highland Arts next to the car and coach park.

Map of Easdale.