The magnificent motors of Carberry Tower

• 
• 

The southern lowlands of Scotland are a majestic landscape dissected by tranquil trout streams and scattered with the beautiful souvenirs of a proud and restless past - handsome palaces, staunch fortresses and ruined abbeys. For more on that, consult Walter Scott, who described it with far more detail and poetry than we can manage.

Today's travels take us to a particular spot in the Lowlands just outside the town of Musselburgh in East Lothian, about 10 miles from Edinburgh. We arrive at the grounds of Carberry Tower, one of those splendid historic houses, which can trace its roots back to the 13th century. Throughout the ages, it witnessed much of the noble feuding which shaped the course of Scottish history, and it was at Carberry Hill that Mary, Queen of Scots, surrendered to her opponents before being imprisoned.

Moving to the present, Carberry Tower is, at its core, a 16th-century structure which was significantly built upon, extended and relandscaped during the Victorian years. The Carberry estate was held from 1801 to 1961 by the Lords Elphinstone and, at the time these photographs were taken, it would have been presided over by Sidney Elphinstone. It seems to us that these four fine cars must have composed his personal motor-stable. The photographs, we note, were the property of A. Jones, a resident at Carberry. Perhaps he was the chauffeur?

We don't know much about Lord Elphinstone as a motorist, whether he had always been an advocate and enthusiast for it or whether he simply adopted it as it started to become more popular through the first decade of the 20th century, but he seemed to have chosen his cars well. The car second from left looks like a Daimler, while the other three are Mercedes-like in appearance, and there seems to be one for every occasion - a tourer, a brougham, and a limousine. Having said that, it's hard to be positive about their identities as so many car-makers were imitating Mercedes that their origins may very well lay elsewhere. The brougham in particular looks a little smaller than the typical Mercedes - could it be a Star? Whatever it is, it might just be our favourite, with its ornate bodywork, elegant brass carriage lamps and prominent bulb horn.

Depending on when the photo was taken, there could be a connection with the British royal family. In 1910, Elphinstone married Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon, sister to Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother, and it's not inconceivable that she travelled in some of these cars.

Please tell us what you think about them. In the meantime, if you'd like to see a bit of beautiful, historic Scotland, it could be a fine place for touring with a powerful Edwardian. As it happens, a quick internet search appears to show that the stable block in this picture is now available to rent as a holiday cottage. It must be worth a visit if you ever get the chance.

Words: Zack Stiling; photographs: Stiling Collection
 

Aggiunga un commento...