For nearly half-a-century Nicol Cathie was gardener at Airthrey Castle. He and his wife lived in Garden Cottage by auld Logie Kirk.
Garden Cottage has been abandoned for many years now. It makes a sad sight:
William Rutherford was appointed as the gardener for Airthrey following Nicol’s death.
He was employed by Donald Graham Esquire:
Airthrey castle was listed with 44 windows in the 1901 census, the Gardener’s Cottage with 8:
Prior to becoming Head Gardener at Airthrey, William Rutherford had worked under James Gordon at Niddrie Marischal, Midlothian:
In November 1889 William Rutherford married Elizabeth Boyd. He was then working as gardener at Calderwood castle:
William Rutherford died on the 21st January 1901 as a result of Addison’s disease. He was just 43 years old. Two days later, his employer Donald Graham Esquire of Airthrey died. Their death entries were registered alongside one another: 44 windows to eight, had now become one:
William’s wife survived her husband by over 40 years:
On 18 September 1967, three months before my birth, 164 undergraduate students and 31 postgraduates began their courses at Airthrey, the new campus of the University of Stirling:
My grandfather, Rab Scott, an orchardman and keen plantsman, gifted specimen plants for the new University Campus:
My grandfather was born at Drumdruills, Bridge of Allan. The Scott family first came there in 1893.
It was my grandfather’s grandfather who initially took tenancy of Drumdruills from Donald Graham Esquire of Airthrey, before purchasing it after Airthrey’s death:
