Day 36 - Inverkip

11 May 2023

Good news – our ancestors didn’t visit us during the night, and Mum and I both slept very well! Today was spent exploring Inverkip, with most of the morning exploring the public walking paths on the Ardgowan Estate. The Inverkip side of the estate is pastureland dotted with mature trees, where we encountered sheep, lambs, horses and alpacas. We found the old stables, which are where we believe John Fairbairn would have had his office as part of his role as estate forester. They were very grand but looked run down and past their former glory. The upkeep of these old buildings must be horrendous.

We carried on walking up through the farmland until we were able to see the expansive Ardgowan House. They run tours and hold weddings, but these are currently suspended due to the birth of Sir Ludovich Shaw Stewart’s baby. The house looked amazing, as did the ruined chapel to the side of it. On the land there is also the ruin of Ardgowan Castle, which must have been very impressive in its heyday. The paths on the Clyde side of the estate run through beautiful forest, and we could imagine John going about his business clearing up fallen trees and maintaining this area. Mum and I met many local people as we explored, most with dogs and all of them with interesting tales to tell. One lady was friends with the Shaw Stewart family and a few years ago had been invited to tea with Camilla (as in Queen Camilla). She was full of knowledge regarding the area, and even had a story to tell that possibly related to Mum’s 3^rd Gt Uncle Thomas Fairbairn, the local baker, which had caused a hushed scandal at the time – not so hushed if the locals are still talking about it 150 years later!

Stunning Ardgowan estate - top right is the Ardgowan House, middle is the castle, and bottom is the stables.

The top photo is on the bank of the Clyde river. Commoncraig Place is a street in Inverkip where a couple of the Fairbarin sisters were living in 1871. The bottom photo shows the view taken from Commoncraig Place - the trees in the top of the photo are on the Ardgowan Estate.

Inverkip has been so lovely, and the people have been very friendly. Staying at the Foresters House has been a real treat, and not just because of the family connection. As I sit here typing, I am sitting at a bay window overlooking the small school (very old - shown on the 1846 maps), surrounded by view of old buildings, greenery and trees, and listening to birds singing. Mum and I think Inverkip is a special place.

(Please note the inclusion of selfies - as requested)