A great photo in remarkable clarity despite being almost 110 years old!

From the David Ritchie collection shared to Blantyre Project, this will be the first time you’ve seen this online. Three men stand at the back of the former Auchentibber Inn. The elevated position overlooked the Quoiting green, accessed by the wooden stairway. This would have been a great vantage point overlooking not just the sporting ground , but also the finely laid out Italian gardens.

A decade or so later, the Auchentibber War Memorial would be built just outside the far right hand side. I think these men are Auchentibber residents. Although not marked, I recognise the two men on the left as miners Nodwell and Rodman, both keen quoiting players. Unfortunately, I’m not sure who the third man on the right is with a cap on.

Makes me sad to think of that rural Inn no longer there. What a popular, scenic business that would have been today!