James Dingwall, General Merchants
Our thanks are extended to Angus Bethune for sharing his wonderful collection of photos relating to the family's time in Culbokie from which these are a just small sample. Angus' parents, Murdo and Mary, moved into Cuidrach when Janetta Dingwall died in 1972. The house was then re-named Glentyan.
It is worth repeating part of the story of the Village centre;
"The Modern Era
A dramatic improvement in living standards occurred in the 1950s with the arrival of mains water and electricity in the village at which point the population was still only around 80 people. The businesses still operating at this time included the Culbokie Inn, MacDonald’s shop and a post office which was now operating from Glentyan (the white house which used to be on the Dingwall croft called Cuidrach). Dingwalls had gradually become a grain merchant because people sometimes paid for their clothes with agricultural produce (pers com) and it was found that there was more business in agriculture than clothes. In time this business became the agricultural merchant, Agrii that exists on the site [today]. The MacKenzie joinery relocated to Rose Cottage on the Mount Eagle Road where it stayed for some years. "
The full text of "The Village Centre" can be down-loaded from this page.
Another source provides: "James Dingwall trained as a tailor in Glasgow and came back to Culbokie to practice his trade. He increasingly found that he received kind in payment for work so was forced tohave to sell these goods to cover his expenses. The trade grew and James Dingwall (Agricultural Merchants) flourished while the tailoring trade fell into decline with any orders being sent away for making up."
Murdo was a popular speaker to local clubs, WRI etc. and always supported his talk with examples of the paperwork used in and around the office. He generously allowed the copying of that paperwork and the examples below relate to research carried out on Findon Mills.
An important aspect of the business was conducted by Mary Bethune who ran a general store and post office. The final few photos give a flavour for that part of the enterprise. Once the property had changed hands the shop was replaced by an extension.
