Detail of fish sculpture sign advertising the West End Cafe, 1 and 3 Gallowgate, Rothesay, Bute

Description Detail of fish sculpture sign advertising the West End Cafe, 1 and 3 Gallowgate, Rothesay, Bute

Date 29/6/2011

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number DP 103627

Category On-line Digital Images

Scope and Content Rothesay grew up around the 13th-century circular Castle, becoming a royal burgh in 1400/1. The town expanded north along the High Street until two major phases of land reclamation in the 18th and 19th century. This shifted the main axis of the town along the shoreline, with the creation of Montague Street (mid- to late 18th century) and Victoria Street (1839-40). Subsequent development of the town took place along the shoreline, particularly as the town’s popularity as a tourist destination grew during the 19th century. The town centre has developed in a fairly ad hoc manner, as with so many historic towns. This has continued into the 21st century with redevelopment of historic buildings such as the Court House and other smaller infill. Running from the junction of Bridge Street and Montague Street to a small roundabout at Victoria Street and Argyle Street, Gallowgate is a historic thoroughfare which originally faced onto the shore with dwellings on the west side of the street. As the town reclaimed land to create Montague Street and later Victoria Street and the Esplanade, the east side was also developed. Some of the earlier buildings have been replaced with later tenements, but 1 and 3 Gallowgate is an example of an older two-storeyed terraced house, with ground floor converted to fish and chip shop (1 and 3) with a decorative projecting fish sculpture sign. Gallowgate originally stretched along the seafront to where the Esplanade meets Argyle Street. The street's name probably relates to the town's gallows being in the vicinity, and there is a 'Gallow's Craig' marked on John Wood's 1825 plan of the town, and on later OS maps. This was a rocky outcrop on the shore, just in front of the West Free Church on Argyle Street. Now covered by the promenade along the seafront, Gallow's Craig is believed to be the site of the last execution for witchcraft in 1673.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/1243781

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap