0.1 The Gair Tima

0.1 The Gair Tima

This was where generations of some of our branch of the Laidlaw family were born, lived , worked and died!

The first on record would be Andrew Laidlaw and his wife Agnes Glendinning, whose seventh child James was the first to be born there:

James circa 1759, Christened 22nd February 1760, The Gair, Tima, Ettrick, Selkirk

Map of Ettrick - The Gair is at the bottom right corner

The Gair ↑
Ref. Ordinance Survey Explorer 330: Moffat and St. Mary’s Loch.

In 2014 Mary-Ann and I travelled down to The Gair from Edinburgh, where we had been staying with Neil and Helen Laidlaw at Swan Spring Avenue. When we got there we met Martin Bray who lived in the converted barn next door to The Gair itself. After initial introductions, he invited us in to have a cup of tea and a chat about the history of the place and the Laidlaws part in it. He had done quite a bit of research.

In an email to Ian Glendinning, a descendant of Andrew's wife Agnes, on Tuesday 28th October 2003, Martin included a transcription from cemetery records:-

 "In loving memory of  Alexander Laidlaw who died at Gair, Ettrick 14th July 1898 aged 66 years. Also his wife Mary Elliot who died at Gair 16th February 1921 aged 86"

This means that Laidlaws must have been farming at The Gair from about 1760, when James was born, to 1921 when Mary died - 161 years!

He also included the following interesting information about the construction:-

"Back in those days the land associated with The Gair was substantial, whereas now it has only 22 acres left. Both The Gair and Ropelawshiel (which is 4 miles into Craik Forest and almost inaccessible to normal traffic) are built identically, clearly by the same builder. Your records (Ian's) show that Ropelawshiel was available to farm two years prior to The Gair. (what date?) Which would make sense. Such a building in such a remote area with no roads and proper transport available, just sheep tracks, it would have been quite an achievement and may have taken many months to complete. If the same builder was responsible, then he and his work force would have had to complete Ropelawshiel before commencing on The Gair. I do not know who commissioned them or owned them at the time or when they were sold to to Private owners."



Ropelawshiel Farm House