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MEMORIES OF THE TINSMITH

The Tinsmith, the Tree and the Cross.

By Jane Bichard.

For over sixty years an old metal cross has been nailed to the trunk of the large pine tree in the Arrochar Hotel car park, just opposite Bellevue.  It was placed there round about 1940. 

In the past when steamers brought visitors up to Arrochar for day trips, quite a few Tinkers would stand around about the pier and car park areas and play the pipes for a few coins. During one of these occasions, one of the pipers was accidentally reversed into by a bus and badly injured.

The story goes that he was so intent on giving his pipes a good blowing through, that he failed to notice or hear the bus until it was too late. Sadly the poor man died, but as a memorial to his lusty pipe playing his fellow tinkers placed the cross on the tree that we see today.

Unfortunately this might not be the case much longer, as the growth of the tree is gradually covering what is still visible of the cross.

My mother Nancy Campbell, who lived at Bellevue from 1938 till 2000, passed down this story to me.

Above - The Tinsmith Alexander Campbell (Sandy), Margaret Cameron (Maggie) and Margaret McPhee - now Brown. Taken circa 1940

Below - the cross as seen today - slowly becoming buried by the growing bark.