Re: The People Of Kilfinan

A Memory of Kilfinan.

It was lovely to see the Ferguson’s mentioned in David Goodman's article. I was born in 1947 and spent many happy summer holidays there, in the 50’s and early 60’s. We got the post van from Tighnabruaich. My father James Murray, was the son of Catherine Ferguson, who lived at Otter Lodge, Kilfinan before marrying Donald Murray. My gran Catherine Ferguson, was the sister of Robin’s mum Jean. Donald Ferguson who was also mentioned in David’s article was my dad’s uncle, and we visited him at the Lodge House which always seemed to be full of cats. Later when we visited him in hospital, as a child I was fascinated by the artificial leg sitting neatly beside his bed. While at Kilfinan, my mum, father, sister and myself stayed at Anfield Cottage. It had been unused for some time and had ink pots with quills in them, and sets of china under dusty glass domes. My father would go out to collect milk in the mornings which, just like David described, was warm and straight from the cow. We also one year, stayed at the Kilfinan Hotel where my sister Anna and I joined in a game of shinty. If you get whacked with a shinty ball you certainly know about it! There were also the young farmer’s dances. There is something wonderful about Kilfinan, spending days walking along country roads not going anywhere in particular. Also coming back through the trees from visiting my father’s Aunt Jean and Uncle Jimmy at Shore Cottage, a bat flew onto my father’s cap and hung upside down on the brim...we screamed! Gran is buried in the grounds of Kilfinan church and in 1978 when my father himself was terminally ill, we went back to Kilfinan. My abiding memory of him is watching him picking wild flowers to lay by his mother’s grave. There is something wonderful and beautiful about Argyll and I think that includes the people. As David Goodman wishes, as in Cher’s song, 'that he could turn back time', Tony Bennet left his heart in San Francisco, but I left mine in Kilfinan. Katrina Ferguson Murray.

---

---