Roots....

This afternoon I was at Auchindrain , the last surviving pre-clearance township which is a visitor attraction in Mid Argyll.

I have blipped it several times before as I have, as the local MSP, supported the place for a long time.

Today however I was with my SNP MSP colleague Jenny Gilruth who, in the course of researching her family tree, discovered that she had roots there.

My main picture is of Jenny in the new exhibition space which I opened last year , standing alongside one of the information boards which has images of three of her family, starting with her great great grandfather Archibald McCallum who came to the village 190 years ago as a very young child and finished his life as the Provost in nearby Lochgilphead.

We also went to the cottage once occupied by members of her family , heard a great deal about the history of the place and her ancestors from Bob Clark the Curator , and then Alison Hay, the Chair of the Trustees, presented her with a certificate enrolling her as a Friend of Auchindrain.

Finally we enjoyed fantastic freshly made (on an open fire) pancakes in another of the original houses, cooked by Cathy Townsley who - in one of those quirks of history - is a descendent of a traveler who saved the life of one of Jenny’s relations over a century ago.

I have added a some other images from the very enjoyable visit as my extra pictures.