Helen, Dora1, Peter2 + I were given a fine motor trip today by Mrs Mackintosh3. Leaving at 9.15 in a landaulette of Bryson’s4 driven by a man Paterson we went up Gala5 to Tynehead, Crichton, Pathhead, Pencaitland, Longniddry, Aberlady, Gullane to N. Berwick where we had lunch at the Marine Hotel6 + a stroll on the Links. It was a fairly good day but moderately warm + not much wind. At Aberlady we called on a Mr Lamb7 (a cousin of Mrs Mack’s) + his wife. He is a retired architect + has a great collection of curios and objects of art + natural history. We had tea at the marina at 4.30 + left at 5 returning via Canty Bay8, Tyninghame, East Linton, Whittinghame, Gifford, Long Newton, Humbie + Soutra. Between Gifford and Long Newton I took a wrong turning + after Leaston9 I made a worse mistake + found ourselves in wood on a cart track + had to turn back. We got home a few minutes before 9 having enjoyed the run greatly. There had been heavy rain between Whittinghame + Gifford + after Oxton all the way home but we got none of it.
1 Helen Frances ‘Mousey’ Muir (1880-1963), Dr Muir’s third daughter and sometime housekeeper and Andrina Dorothy ‘Dora’ Muir (1882-1978), nurse and Dr Muir’s youngest daughter
2 Peter Muir Spurgeon Allen (1914-2005), was at Thorncroft, Selkirk, aged 7 in the 1921 Census [taken 19 June 1921], born 4 June 1914, Chorlton [Lancashire], the son of the Reverend Willoughby xx Allen and Catherine Ellen Allen neeGreen; a head teacher (retired), he died 16 February 2005 at the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh, usual residence Hope Cottage, Stenton, Dunbar, East Lothian.
3 Agnes Mackintosh née Watson, formerly Harper (1859-1946), of Elm Park, Selkirk
4 Invariably described as Bryson or Bryson’s by Dr Muir, Croall, Bryson & Co., were at High Street, Selkirk and offered a car hire service
5 They travelled up the Gala Water before turning off to Tynehead, grid reference NGR NT394,592, Crichton, NT387,620, Pathhead, NT393,644, Pencaitland, NT440,689, Longniddry, NT441,760, Aberlady, NT462,798, and Gullane NT486,829, to North Berwick, NT552,853
6 The Marine Hotel, Cromwell Road, North Berwick is the strikingly large Scottish baronial style building overlooking the Links
7 James John Watson Lamb (about 1854-1927), architect, at Woodville, Aberlady [1924 VR]; he was the son of Peter Lamb, distiller, and Anne Lamb née Watson (whose relationship to Agnes Mackintosh has not been corroborated); he married, 1908, Sophia Brodie Rankin [1908, 644/18 69, Pollokshields, Glasgow]
8 Canty Bay, grid reference NGR NT582,853, Tyninghame, NT611,791, East Linton, NT591,772, Whittinghame, NT602,738, Gifford, NT534,681, Long Newton, NT515,648, Humbie, NT458,626, + Soutra, NT456,593
9 Leaston, grid reference NT484,634, just short of Humbie on the party’s apparent route which must have diverted south off the main road, presumably after leaving Gifford, to take in Long Newton
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/24, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1921]
Rumbling Clint's Scottish Notes 