A Fife visitor attraction is hoping to rekindle nostalgic childhood memories from 1950s and 1960s day-trippers as part of its 75th anniversary.
Originally created as a formal landscaped garden on Mount Melville Estate in the 1860s, the 47-acre Craigtoun Country Park, originally owned by the Younger family, was purchased by Fife Council in 1947 for £25,000.
For many locals, the emotional attachment to Craigtoun is, of course, literally a lifelong one with many born at the long since closed Craigtoun Maternity Hospital on the site.
Famous for its Dutch Village on the boating lake, Craigtoun Country Park welcomed its first visitors in 1948 and facilities were added to over the following two decades.
The park was at its peak in the mid-1960s as a tourist and day-tripper attraction before most “bucket and spade” breaks were taken in European destinations from the 1970s.
In the 1980s it was not unknown for adventurous St Andrews primary school children to set off on summer holiday adventures by walking the three-mile, unofficial cross-country route from St Andrews to Craigtoun via the derelict railway line, before crossing fields to reach the park via Mount Melville.
In 1988, Craigtoun even staged its own music festival, Fife Aid, which was hosted by David Bellamy and featured, among others, Van Morrison.
Could the Dutch Village be reopened?
But Craigtoun had become a shadow of itself by the late 2000s after years of neglect and declining visitor numbers, and, since 2013, has been run by Friends of Craigtoun which signed a 25-year lease with the local authority in 2022.
Today, the park welcomes around 250,000 visitors each year, attracted by the Rio Grande miniature railway, Puffin’ Billy tractor ride, boating, putting, crazy golf, bouncy castles and go-karts.
However, Fife Council retains responsibility for the listed structures within the park including the once picturesque but now ‘at risk’, white-walled island Dutch Village with its conical tiled roofs and continental-style architecture.
But a revival may be afoot.
Having already made great strides in reinvigorating the previously ailing park, Friends of Craigtoun now hopes to return the once-thriving Dutch Village to its former glory and re-open the beautiful island attraction to visitors.
As part of its 75th anniversary celebrations, Friends of Craigtoun also plans to turn memories, photos and cine film from visitors into a 3D virtual tour which generations will be able to “walk through” for years to come.
To spark memories, the park has also released a small selection of images featuring people they hope to identify.
Funding director Henry Paul said: “In the 1950s and 1960s, visitors used to flock to the Dutch Village for dances and family occasions.
“We know that the Dutch Village will hold special memories for many people across Scotland and perhaps further afield, and we’d love to gather any cine film of people enjoying themselves here.
“It wasn’t just day trippers who visited the Dutch Village.
“These were the days before people went abroad for their holidays.
“Lots of visitors from the west coast of Scotland flocked to Fife during the summer months, often staying in caravans in St Andrews and the East Neuk, so we’d love to hear from them too.
“It would be absolutely magical to bring these happy memories to life and now is the time before they’re gone forever, to show how important the Dutch Village and park have historically been to today’s visitors.
“We’d also love to save the Dutch Village before the building deteriorates further and costs escalate.
“As you can see in these images, others enjoyed Sunday school outings, bowling, concerts on the stage, putting or rowing.
“Various miners’ galas were also held here, with families descending on the park to celebrate or just enjoy a fun day out.
“We’d love to track down some of these people, rekindle and preserve their memories of the park for generations to come.”
Dampness and roof damage
The Dutch Village and two connecting lakes were commissioned by the Younger family in 1920 and designed by Manchester-born Paul W Whitehouse.
Closed due to disrepair in 2020, Friends of Craigtoun then commissioned a condition survey and viability study for the Dutch Village, grant-aided by the Architectural Heritage Fund.
The report by RKA Architects outlined damage across the site including a damaged roof, damage to internal fixtures from dampness, vegetation growing inside the structure and birds roosting within the buildings.
Remaining closed to visitors, the Dutch Village will shortly be entered into Historic Environment Scotland’s Buildings At Risk Register.
What was the Dutch Village like in the glory days of the 1960s?
Margo Sproson from St Andrews is among those with nostalgic childhood memories.
“I was no more than 10-years-old and was one of the hoards of people who either cycled or bussed it up to Craigtoun,” she said.
“Very few people had cars at that time.
“I remember my dad rowing the boat to take my mum and I around the Dutch Village, hearing the lapping of the oars and paddles, and the sun shining.
“I remember sitting at one of the wee tables while my mum and dad got up to waltz at the afternoon tea dances.
“As an only child, I remember enjoying the company of other children and just loving the atmosphere there.
“There was something magical about this beautiful building standing in the water and rowing around it.
“There were ice-creams and coffees there too, it was just a lovely atmosphere.
“I remember Craigtoun as such a fun day out.
“We took our tartan rug, found a good spot and went around and about, in and out of the greenhouses looking at these amazing plants, the little waterfalls and goldfish.
“Everything was just magical!”
Now as a mother of three and grandmother of eight, the 67-year-old still goes to Craigtoun County Park almost weekly with some of her grandchildren.
“Craigtoun always had a special feel to it and it still does all those years later,” she said.
“The park has a sense of calm and peace – it’s a perfect size and, even in the height of summer when it is very busy, it’s a happy noise of families enjoying themselves, not loud music or noisy machines.
“The flowers and pine trees smell like they always did.
“To me, more than ever, families and children need that experience of belonging, the sense of peace and freedom – the Dutch Village played a huge part in these memories.
“Yes, life has moved on and perhaps tea dances are a thing of the past but it would be lovely if the Dutch Village could be restored.
“It’s such a shame to see it looking so dilapidated and neglected.
“It would be a beautiful place to sit and have a cuppa or an ice-cream, perhaps with a quartet or piano playing on a summer’s day.
“I am sure it could be a wonderful space for small events.
“There’s nothing quite like it in Scotland.”
If you have any memories, photos, stories or cine film of visits to Craigtoun Country Park and the Dutch Village, especially during the 1950s and 1960s, please email funding@friendsofcraigtoun.org.uk or telephone 01334 472013.
