CARNOUSTIE GALA 
| INTRODUCTION | COMMITTEE | FORTHCOMING COMPETITIONS | |||
| GALA 2011 | GALA 2010 | GALLERY 2009 | GALLERY 2008 | GALLERY PREVIOUS YEARS |
HISTORY OF CARNOUSTIE
By Annie Thomson
Carnoustie is mentioned in documents going back 500 years, but at that
time it was simply a large farm lying between the Pitskelly and lochty burns.
Just over 200 years ago, in 1798, the owner, Major William Philip gave Thomas
Lowson, a loomwright from Barry, permission to build a cottage near the shore.
The ground turned out to be so fertile that the willow twig that Thomas used
to dibble in his cabbages,sprouted and began to grow into what is now the
famous Dibble Tree.
This encouraged other people to ask major Philip to feu them some ground.
David Hunter on the neighbouring farm at Pitskelly had also granted feus for
a group of cottages called Hunterstown, while David Gardyne at Ravensby was
building Gardynestown close by.
The three goups were forming a settlement which was first called Tayside Feus.
A few years later Major Philip sold Carnoustie to George Kinloch, MP for Dundee.
Mr Kinloch opened a brickworks which together with Mr Hunter's Pitskelly Quarry
provided building materials for the growing settlement. George Kinloch persuaded
the other landowners to change the name back to Carnoustie and encouraged
tradesmen to open shops.
The first inhabitants were mainly handloom weavers who built pairs or terraces
of cottages along with shared workshops.
The first two churches, both Seceder congregations, were built in 1810, and
a few years later two spinning mills were opened.
1838 brought the railway to Carnoustie, and at the same time the first Parish
church was built. Two church schools and several independent schools appeared.
In the 1860's , possibly inspired by New Lanark, James Smieton built a modern
linen works along with several streets of comfortable houses for his workpeople
and a school where children aged 11 and over received education for half a
day and worked in the factory for the other half.
This building, now Panmure Community Centre, still provides educational services.
The first golf club was formed in 1842 and the first golf course laid out.
In 1889 the status of Carnoustie was raised from village to town with the
election of a town council and provost. Money was raised to buy a large section
of the Links for golf and other sporting activities.
Carnoustie became well established as a holiday resort, advertised as the
"Brighton of the North".