EASTER CAMP OVERVIEW

1. Introduction

This page provides an overview of the various Easter camps run by the 70th Renfrewshire Troop from 1933-1966. Unfortunately, the log books covering the 1930s and the 1940s were lent or gifted to past members at a reunion during the 1990s. As a consequence, it is not known whether any Easter camps were organised during the 1930s and 1940s. Fortunately, one of the Troop log books written during the 1940s has been recovered, and most of the log books from the 1950s and 1960s were retained by the Group. These have provided more detailed information of Easter camps during these decades. Photographs have also provided a greater insight into Easter camps during the 1950s and 1960s.

2. Easter Camps (1933-1939)

As stated in the introduction, the Group no longer has possession of log books from the 1930s, and so it is not known whether Easter camps took place during that decade or not.

3. Easter Camps (1940-1949)

3.1 A Difficult Decade

At the start of the war, rules and government regulations were introduced which restricted free movement and activities. Camping was banned in sensitive areas such as the Clyde area, although official youth camps such as Everton were eventually made exempt. However, other difficulties such as rationing, transport and tent camouflage clearly discouraged the 70th from any camping during the first two years of the war. It was not until the end of March 1941 that a decision was taken by the 70th's Court of Honour to restart camping activities at Everton. A box for storing camping equipment, the equipment itself, and the trek cart were taken down to Everton farm at the start of August 1941 and stored there ready for forthcoming camps. Thus, weekend camps at Everton became possible from August 1941. Despite that, there is no evidence of the 70th organising Easter Camps during the war or in the subsequent post war 1940s. However, hostelling trip to Edinburgh was organised during the Easter of 1943.

3.2 Hostelling trip to Edinburgh (10th-12th April 1943)

Despite travel restrictions during the war, the Troop managed to organise an Easter 'Holiday camp' in 1943, which consisted of a visit to the Spylaw Scout hostel in Edinburgh, rather than camping.

Scouter in charge: Mr. Chalmers

Patrol Leaders: Alan Jubber and Andrew MacMillan

Seconds: Ian Conn, Roy Farling, Jim Morton and Alan Mackay

Scouts: Michael Close, Campbell Conn, Austin Craigie, Eric Duncan, Ronald Fraser, Gordon Graham, Jock Kerr, Alasdair Maclaine, Fraser Millar, Paul Pryce, Maurice Offord, Edward Pearce, Eric Phillips, Neil Robertson, William Smyth, Tony Treadwell and Andrew Webster.

Transport

By train from Greenock Central to Glasgow Central and then to Edinburgh Prince Street Station. From the West End to the Hostel by tram.

Activities

On the first day, the troop travelled through to Edinburgh and settled into the hostel before purchasing food in Colinton. They then took a 'car' (possibly a tram car) into the centre of Edinburgh and went up Arthur's Seat before travelling back to the hostel. On the Sunday, they went to the zoo, then in the evening they played games in the park near the hostel. On the final day, they took their kit from the hostel and left it at the left luggage office at Princes Street Station before going to the West End British restaurant for lunch, which consisted of Soup, Ham and egg pie, and Syrup pudding. In the afternoon, they visited Anderson's Arcade on Princes Street, and when they left there, an American soldier (who had been a Scout himself) asked if he could have a photo taken of him with the troop, which resulted in a trip into Prince's Gardens to take the photo. The troop then went past a floral clock that was being planted (which they did not find very impressive) before they went up the Mound to watch the ball at the top of Nelson's column drop at 1.00 pm. This was followed by further wanderings along various streets via the Scout Shop before returning to the station to catch the train to Glasgow. At Glasgow, they caught the 6.10 pm train to Greenock, apart from Austin Craigie who 'got strayed'. He arrived a couple of trains later.

Mr. Chalmers was not exactly impressed by the standard of 'camping', although he did not specifiy what he meant by that. He also made allowances for the fact that this was, for many of the Scouts, their first experience of hostelling under 'Scouting rules'.

It is believed that the Spylaw Scouting Hostel was situated in Spylaw House which was built in 1773 and still exists. It is no longer used as a Scouting Hostel and it has yet to be discovered when the Scouts had the use of the premises.

Further details of the Hostelling 'Camp' are provided in extracts from the Troop Log and the Peewit Patrol Log. See also the web page covering the camp.

Figure 1 Spylaw Scout Hostel at Colinton, Edinburgh.

4. Easter Camps (1950s)

4.1 Invereck (10th - 18th April 1954)

Scouts and Leaders present

FALCON PATROL

P.L. Douglas Brown, Second Bob Millar, Graham White, Neville Mort, Ian McKenzie and Hamish Rankin

FOX PATROL

P.L. Ian McFarlane, Second Sandy Whiteford, Neill Cook, R. McKinnon, Stephen Pearce and Milton Runcie.

SCOUTERS

Brian Hodgson (Scout Master) and Andy Whiteford (Troop Leader)

The Easter Camp held at Invereck during April 1954 was ground breaking as it was the first substantial Easter camp recorded in the 70ths history. It was also the first substantial camp of any kind since the rebirth of the troop in 1947, and the first time that the Troop had camped at a different site from Everton since the 1930s. A weekend camp was actually held at Invereck about a month before Easter Camp, partly to find out where the campsite was and partly as a recce. The campsite was a field between the River Echaig and the Invereck Eventide Old Folk's home run by the Church of Scotland, and the residents probably got a lot of entertainment watching what was going on from their windows. On one of the days, some of the female residents even ventured down to cheer on the teams playing football for the camp's football 'trophy' - possibly a bucket.

In 1954, private transport was very limited and troops relied on public transport such as trains and ferries to reach potential campsites. At this camp, the Scouts took the ferry from Gourock to Dunoon. Some of the Scouts then probably took the bus to Invereck, while the others pushed the troop's trek cart laden with all the camping equipment the four miles or so to the campsite. During this operation, one of the wheels got buckled.

During the camp itself, each day started with breakfast, flagbreak, inspection and a Scout's Own where one of the Scouts read a passage from the Bible. On the Sunday, the troop paraded to Sandbank church for the morning service and a few Scouts attempted to attend an evening service at Kilmun Church - only to find that it wasn't on. The log reports also talk of 'Scout work'. This is not elaborated on, but probably involved training and testing on various aspects of the Second Class and First Class Badges.

As far as camp activities were concerned, the Falcon Patrol attempted to build a 'bridge' over the River Echaig, which probably consisted of a rope stretched between trees on either bank. The accompanying cartoon in the Seal Patrol Log suggests that this was less than successful. The Fox patrol attempted to build a raft, but it is not known whether this succeeded or not. Campfires were held in the evening and one of these was a joint campfire with the Kirn Scouts, who might also have been camping on the site. As far as games were concerned, these included football, rounders, cricket and non-stop cricket. There were also plate races in the 'burn'. On bad weather days, when the Scouts were confined to their tents, football whist was played. On good weather days, time was well spent swimming and diving into the River Echaig.

A couple of hikes were undertaken on Monday evening 12th April - an 8-mile hike for the younger Scouts led by Ian McFarlane into Glen Lean, and a longer 16-mile hike for the older Scouts up into Glen Masson. This resulted in rather a late night before getting to pit. On the following day (13th April), there was a visit into Dunoon to visit the cinema, which was promptly labelled the 'Icebox' as it was so chilly. There were a further two visits into Dunoon during the week to visit cafes and the cinema. On the 14th-15th April, Neville Mort and R. McKinnon left camp to carry out their First Class hike. However, their route was not identified.

An unusual event during camp was an encounter with a shepherd who allowed Brian Hodgson to hold one of the newly born lambs. Another unusual event was a feast on the afternoon of the 17th April to celebrate Douglas Brown's birthday. Prior to this, Brian Hodgson had disappeared into Dunoon on a bicycle that had been brought to camp. This may well have been to purchase the birthday card, cake and gift (a knife) that were presented to Douglas during the feast. The cake went down a treat, and no sooner had it been consumed than Douglas's parents arrived with another cake. This, too, was rapidly consumed.

On the final day, everyone rose at 6.00 am to make breakfast and strike camp. The troop attended morning service at Kilmun Church and were then shown various important grave stones in the cemetary. The Sea Scouts from Renfrew were also present. It was then a case of returning home, once again pushing all the gear along the roads on the trek cart.

Photographs, cartoons and log book entries relating to this camp can be accessed by clicking here.

4.2 Invereck (9th - 14th April 1955)

Scouts and Leaders present

OWL PATROL

P.L. Neville Mort, P.L. Graham White (arrived Monday), Second Jim Harvey, R. Scott, M. Rugman and Ian Johnson (left Monday).

PEEWIT PATROL

P.L. Sandy Whiteford, Second Alastair Shearer, Billy McEwing, Hamish Rankin, Ian McKenzie and Colin Tibbles.

SCOUTERS

J.R. (Ian) Blake (left Monday), Andy Whiteford, Alastair Duncan (left Monday), Robert Millar, Ian McFarlane

Following on from the successful Easter Camp of 1954, the Troop returned to Invereck in 1955. An advance party of older Scouts and Scouters set off in advance of the rest of the party. As in 1954, they loaded the trek cart with the camping gear and pushed it to Gourock in order to catch the ferry. They then pushed it to Invereck and set up tents and fire places in advance of the rest of the Scouts arriving from Dunoon by bus.

Flagbreak and inspection were held each morning, but, unlike last year, there did not seem to be a daily Scout's Own. However, there were several sessions of training and testing. On the Sunday, the troop went to Kilmun Church rather than Sandbank. Various games were played such as rounders and football, some of which were played with Scouts from Dunoon and Kirn. Possibly, those Scouts were also camping on the campsite, as Invereck was the local campsite for Dunoon Scouts. Like the previous year, there was a visit into Dunoon to visit the cafes and cinema; the latter was now called the 'Icebox' due to the chilly experience of the previous year. There was also a visit into Sandbank, presumably to purchase 'goodies'. It was at this camp that Hamish Rankin was nicknamed 'Sweetie', possibly for buying out the shop. The weather over the final two days was very good and the penultimate day was spent swimming in the River Echaig and building a small raft called the 'Basin' - named after the initials of the five Scouts who built it. Photographs also suggest that the raft was built round some sort of metal basin or pail. At the end of camp, four Scouts took the bus into Dunoon, while the rest manhandled the trek cart and camping gear back to Gourock pier on foot.

Photographs, cartoons and links to log book entries relating to this camp can be accessed by clicking here.

4.3 Blairmore 30th March-5th April 1956

Unfortunately, there is no troop log covering 1956 and the only Patrol Log covering the period (the Fox Patrol Log) provided no information on camps. However, the Court of Honour Minutes of the period indicate that an Easter Camp was planned for the 30th March to the 5th April, and that the camp would also be the final part of a training programme for PLs and Seconds. The destination of the camp was 'known only to the Scout Master' when the dates were announced, and turned out to be at Blairmore Farm as indicated by surviving receipts with local traders. These receipts also show that the Scouts took the ferry from Gourock to Blairmore, then hired the local coal lorry from Andrew McArthur (Coal merchant) and cartage contractor) to carry the camping equipment from Blairmore Pier to the campsite on the 30th March, and back again on the 5th April at a cost of 5/- each way. This was almost certainly the first time that the 70th camped at Blairmore - a campsite that continued to be used in preference to Invereck well into the 1970s. The campsite was owned by John McArthur (Dairyman) who also provided milk, potatoes and eggs. However, most of the provisions were purchased from David Rankin (licensed family grocer). The quantities provided suggest that 7 Scouts and Scouters were present in total which is in keeping with a training camp involving the Patrol Leaders and Seconds. The location of the campsite is shown in figure 5 and still exists today, although it is a long time since Scouts last camped there. Blairmore Farm is still owned by the McArthur family (Ross McArthur as of 2023).

Figure 2 Location of Invereck campsite

Figure 3 Location of Invereck campsite

4.4 Roseneath (Saturday 13th to Tuesday 16th April 1957)

The Easter Camp of 1957 is the first recorded instance of the 70th camping at Clachan Farm, just south of Roseneath Farm. Rosneath had the advantage of being easily accessible by catching the ferry from Gourock to Kilcreggan, and then hiking or hiring a lorry to the campsite. According to Douglas Brown, the Roseneath campsite was also used for weekend camps. Quite often the Scouts would hike cross country from Kilcreggan to the campsite as it was considered un-Scout-like to take the road. There is an element of doubt over the dates. The Troop Log identified the date as the 13th-16th April, whereas the Fox Patrol Log identified the dates as the 20th-23rd April. Easter Sunday that year was on the 21st April. A receipt survives for £4-3-9 for groceries purchased from A.C. Roche Grocers at 66 Kempock Street Gourock, which was paid on 20th April 1957. This could fit with either of the possible dates identified, but tends to favour the later date. The Grocers advertised free delivery, so one wonders whether they delivered the supplies to the campsite, especially as the invoice was identified as being for a "Scout Camp".

A full list of those attending the Roseneath Easter Camp has not been found in any of the records. However, photographs provided by Douglas Brown reveal that those attending included the following:

Scouters: J.R. Blake (Scoutmaster); Douglas Brown; Sandy Whiteford; Jim Harvey; Bob Miller

Scouts: Brian Elliot; Hamish Rankin; Hugh Paterson, Hamish Rankin, Ken Conway, Stuart Scott, Kenneth Johnston, Jim Blair

The Troop Log for 1957 briefly mentions the camp as follows.

"The Easter camp this year was held at Roseneath. We came from Gourock on the 2.00 pm boat, and a lorry took us to Clachan Farm where we were camping. There was a Glasgow Troop camping in the barn and we had a wide game that night at 9.00pm. Sandy, Douglas and Jim left on Sunday afternoon and the remainder of the boys and Skipper came home on Tuesday. Sunday was the only day we had any rain."

The Fox patrol Log as written by John Nisbet stated the following.

“The boys going to camp assembled on Saturday the 20th, a dull day with promise of rain later. That night and on Sunday night there was some heavy rain. Monday and Tuesday, however, were good days with sunshine practically all the time. Jim, of course, had to fall in the water!!!!! Camp was struck on Tuesday morning and the campers arrived home for lunch. The general opinion of the camp? Not bad."

Photographs on the camp can be viewed by clicking here.

4.5 Blairmore Easter Camp (2nd April - 7th April 1958)

The Easter Camp of 1958 is the second recorded instance of the 70th camping at Blairmore Farm - a site that became a popular venue for weekend camps over the next 20 years or so. The campsite was readily accessible as there was a ferry service from Gourock to Blairmore pier and the campsite was easily accessible on foot as it was situated up the hill within about a mile or two from the pier.

The Scouts attending the Easter camp of 1958 were organised into three patrols as follows

Panthers: P.L. John Nisbet, Ken Johnson, William Harkness, Bobby Howison, Robert Harvey

Seals: P.L. Ken Conway, Trevor Jones, Stuart Scott. John? Dyer and Ritchie Muir (arrived on the Saturday)

Beavers: P.L. Hamish Rankin, Brian Elliott, Alastair Nicol and Jim Blair.

Scouters: Ian Blake, Sandy Whiteford, Jim Harvey, Ian McFarlane and Bob Millar.

Summary

The Troop took the ferry from Gourock to Blairmore Pier, then loaded their camping gear onto a lorry which drove it to the campsite. The Patrol sites were set up, then wood was collected. During the camp, the patrols ooked their own meals over wood fires. Activities included a climb of Blairmore Hill, an exploration of an old mine, a night hike, a tracking trail in the woods and an ascent to a ridge with good views of Loch Long, Dumbarton Rock and Largs. The route of the night hike was not described in detail, but it was very probably the same one that was carried out at the Easter camp of 1959, which involved hiking south along the forestry road and eventually reaching the coast road near Kilmun, then hiking back along the coast road. Camp games included handball, football, and the sandshoe game.

John Nisbet and Bobby Howison left the camp for a couple of days in order to carry out their First Class hike. When they returned, William Harkness and Alastair Nicol departed on their 1st Class hike. A number of campfires were also held which included ghost stories told by Ian Blake. At one campfire, the Scouts made pancakes under the supervision of Bob Millar, and then had a supper of pancakes and syrup, as well as rice and stewed apples.

On the final day, the camp was dismantled and equipment taken up to the track so that it could be loaded onto the lorry when it came. A litter line across the camp was then organised - the first time that this well-established end of camp activity is mentioned in the records. Once the Scouts had returned to Gourock Pier, the camping equipment was placed in the left luggage office. No details are provided on who collected it subsequently or how. According to John Nisbet, "All those who had been at the camp thought – and said – that they had thoroughly enjoyed it." The section of the Patrol Log covering the Easter Camp of 1958 can be accessed by clicking here. Unfortunately, no photographs of the camp have been identified to date.

Receipts and notes of the camp have also survived which suggest that Bob Miller was the only Scouter to be present throughout the whole camp. They also show that the camp fee for attending the complete camp was £25 shillings per Scout and identify the kinds of provisions purchased for this and other camps. There was a heavy emphasis on porridge oats, Corn Flakes, sausages, eggs, bread, margarine & jam, sugar, milk and tea as far as breakfasts were concerned. For other meals, there was an emphasis on mince, steak, pies, haggis, beans, spaghetti, carrots, potatoes, onions, cauliflower, jellies and custard. Cocoa was purchased for campfires. Flour and syrup were also purchased to make the pankcakes made at campfires, as well as the rice and cooking apples already identified. A couple of items that were lacking on the menu, but which were prevalent in the Summer Camp menus of the time were prunes and rhubarb.

Finally, a rough sketch map of the campsite (Fig.7) was included in the notes and show that the Scouts camped on the north side of the stream in the same area used for the 1959 Easter Camp.

Figure 7 Sketch map of the camp layout - Blairmore 1958. (to be added)

4.6 Blairmore Easter Camp ( 27th March - 1st April 1959)

In 1959, the 70th returned to Blairmore for Easter Camp, having camped there the year before. The attendance at the camp was as follows.

Leaders: SM Ian Blake (until 30th Mar); ASM Bob Miller; ASM Sandy Whiteford; ASM Jim Harvey.

'Kingfisher' Patrol P.L. Trevor Jones, Second Jim Blair, Tommy Dow and Roger Hardie

Seal Patrol P.L. Ken Conway, Second Stuart Scott, Michael Hodge and Philip Dry

'Falcon' Patrol P.L. Hamish Rankin, P.L. Brian Elliot, Laird McFarlane Ian Fraser, John Moore and Alan Conway

Ronnie Weir was also present for the first part of the camp, but it is not known which patrol he was in. The names of two of the Patrols have been identified as Seal and Duck-billed Platypus. The Seal Patrol was led by Ken Conway, but it is not known who was in charge of the Duck-billed Platypus patrol. The other two patrols have been identified above as the Kingfisher and Falcon as those were the nomal Partrols for the PL in charge.

As in the previous year, the Scouts took the steamer from Gourock to Blairmore Pier, where their heavy equipment was loaded onto a lorry and transported up to the campsite, along with the Scouts. The tents were erected and the midday dinner was cooked over a primus. In the afternoon, the rest of the camp was set up – kitchen shelters, latrines and flagpole.

Activities included a walk to Kilmun (along the forestry commission road, returning by the main road), an ascent of Kilmun Hill, an evening walk to the Ardentinny café, and an ‘owl hunt’. No owls were caught, but Bob Millar almost got clobbered by everybody else for making owl sounds. Camp games included football. Campfires were also held each night and at one of the campfires Bob Millar made pancakes which were devoured by the Scouts and a couple of visitors – Mrs. Conway and George Conway. On the Sunday, there was a Scouts Own led by Ian Blake. Stuart Scott and Philip Dry left the camp for a couple of days to complete their First Class hike, at the end of which Philip discovered a ‘weighty stone’ at the foot of his rucsac. One of the highlights of the camp was Philip Dry swinging on a rope and unintentionally falling into a burn. The log book stated ‘He was absolutely soaked from the knees down (he fell in headfirst).’ Another highlight as far as Roger Hardy, Michael Hodge and Alan Conway were concerned was that they all passed their Second Class Badge in camp.

The weather over the first four days was very good, but heavy rain fell on the fifth day and some of the tents succumbed to rising ground water levels. Consequently, the midday dinner was cooked in the Scouters kitchen and Bob Miller decided that the younger Scouts should return home that afternoon. In the evening, the traditional camp dumpling was cooked by those remaining in camp. The camp was dismantled on the final day (April Fool’s Day) with the help of Trevor Jones who returned with his younger brother to help in the clear up. This was only the second camp where the Scouts had been flooded out.

The section of the Troop Log covering the Easter Camp of 1959 can be accessed by clicking here.

The section of the Fox Patrol Log covering the Easter Camp of 1959 can be accessed by clicking here.

The website page covering the Easter Camp of 1959 can be accessed by clicking here.

Figure 4 Location of Roseneath campsite at Clachan Farm

5. Easter Camps (1960s)

Figure 5 Blairmore Farm, Blairmore. Blue indicates location of the campsite.

Figure 6 Proposed routes of hillwalks. Blue represents the likely route up Blairmore Hill. Orange represents the likely route to get the 'good views'.

5.1 Introduction

During the period 1960-1966, Bob Millar was Scout Master and continued the tradition of an annual Easter camp, with patrols cooking their own meals over wood fires, and with the emphasis on outdoor activities that included hikes, hill climbs and pioneering projects.

5.2 Blairmore Easter Camp (8th - 13th April 1960)

For the third year in a row, the 70th chose Blairmore as the venue for Easter Camp. On this occasion, there were 11 Scouts camping in two patrols as follows;

Rhinocerus Patrol: P.L. Ian Fraser, Acting Second Billy Phillips, Michael Nisbet and D. Hamilton.

Bear Patrol: T.L. Jim Blair, P.L. Tommy Dow (left on the 10th), Second Ronald Lind, Michael Hodge (HOJI), Alan Conway and John Moore.

The Leader team consisted of Acting SM Robert K. Miller (Bob, Eccles or Skipper), ASM Ian McFarlane (until the 10th; returned on 13th), VJASM Kenneth W. Johnston (QM) and VJASM John H. Nisbet (Nis). Hamish Rankin (Tweet) also attended the camp until the 10th. Hamish had recently resigned as a PL in order to join a new Senior Scout Patrol with its own programme. Note that VJASM and JASM were terms used for older Scouts who had joined the leader team, but were still of Scout age. Thus, they were not sufficiently old to gain a warrant as a full ASM.

Camp report

On the first day, the Scouts gathered at Gourock Pier and collected the camping gear from the Left Luggage Office (LLO) (indicating that it might have been transported there the day before). There was a bit of a mix up over this and the LLO Custodian got into a fluster when he saw the equipment being taken to the steamer. Believing that the equipment was being stolen, he ‘puffed up the pier’ to apprehend the villains, shouting “Rem fings is stole!’ However, everything was smoothed over when Bob Millar handed over the requisite LLO tickets from his sporran. The Scouts then sailed over to Blairmore Pier on the M.V. Maid of Ashton, where they disembarked and both the equipment and the Scouts were transported to the campsite by lorry (as in previous years). The rest of the day was spent pitching camp, erecting kitchen shelters, collecting firewood, making gadgets and other associated tasks. Bob’s traditional camp dumpling was devoured that evening, and it appears that the campsite was being shared with Scouts from the 7th Renfrewshire.

On the second day, the camp flagpole was erected and the latrines were dug before the camp programme began in earnest. This year, the Scouts undertook a major pioneering project which involved building a bridge over one of the streams, along with approach roads (Figs 8 & 9). This took two days to complete and there was an official opening ceremony that involved cutting a piece of string across one end of the bridge. There was also a visit to the lead mine, with the TL and SM venturing deep inside to collect rock samples. Following that, everyone descended to Gairletter Point to go beach combing, but during the descent there was a wrestling match between the Troop Leader and the Scout Master that saw both of them ending up in a bog. It was not recorded whether the combatants went for a swim in the loch, but it is certainly known that Bob Millar and Ian McFarlane braved the weather conditions to go swimming on another occasion. Other activities included a night ascent of Kilmun Hill, a visit to a haunted house by Bob Millar and Jim Blair, and an evening hike to Ardentinny to visit the shop. At Ardentinny, the Scouts met members of the Senior Scout Patrol (Ken Conway, Stuart Scott and R. Muir), who were on a backpacking hike.

Various camp games were played including baseball and ‘Pickapoo’, the latter consisting of ‘ice hockey’ with 2 pucks tied together (the idea was that each player was only allowed to hit their own puck). Campfires were also held in the evening.

The weather was reasonable over the first few days, but it then poured on the 12th and it was decided that the Scouts should return home a day early. This was a wise decision as the rain continued unabated for 36 hours into the 13th. Only the Scouters (Bob Miller, John Nisbet and Ken Johnston) remained overnight to strike camp on the 13th. The weather helped in this task by blowing down the Scouters kitchen shelter overnight. Ian McFarlane reappeared on the 13th to help out.

A number of people dropped in on the camp to visit. For example, Mr. and Mrs. Conway visited along with youngest son George. Alastair Cram and Albert Runcie also visited on their way home after completing a hike that counted towards their Hiker’s Badge.

Photographs taken at the Easter Camp of 1960 can be accessed by clicking here. The account of the camp as provided in the Troop log can be accessed by clicking here.

5.3 Pitlochry Easter Camp (31st March - 5th April 1961)

In 1961, the 70th ventured much further afield than on any previous occasion for their Easter Camp. The venue was Pitlochry, and the campsite was Dunfallandy (Figs.10 & 11) - the same campsite used for the troop’s summer camp of 1957. Only 8 Scouts were present on this occasion, resulting in two small patrols of 4 Scouts each. (However, it should be noted that the Court of Honour had placed a limit of 8 Scouts for this camp – possibly because of logistical issues and the fact that Bob Millar was not originally going to be present.) Although there were four leaders present, Ian McFarlane could only attend for a weekend due to work, while Bob Millar was recovering from flu and had to stay at the Fishers Hotel in Pitlochry, visiting the campsite during the day. Thus, John Nisbet and Ken Johnson were the only two Scouters who were present all the time.

Seal Patrol

T.L. Alistair Cram, Sec. Ronald Russell, Donald Hamilton and Ian McKinnon

Fox Patrol

P.L. Ronald Lind, Sec. Michael Nisbet, Billy Phillips (Wiffil or Wif) and Ian Paterson (Kipper or Kippar).

Leaders

S.M. R.K. Miller (Bob), A.S.M. John H. Nisbet, A.S.M. Kenneth. W. Johnson (Q.M.) and A.S.M. J.S. McFarlane.

The Scouts met at Gourock Railway station, collected the camping gear from the Left Luggage and loaded it onto the train. The train left on time, with Billy Phillips arriving with only a minute to spare. At Glasgow Central, all the camping equipment had to be transported to Buchanan Street Station. Fortunately, a relative of Ken Johnson organized transport for the transfer. The train then went to Perth, where it split into two. Fortunately, the Scouts and the equipment were in the correct half and safely reached Pitlochry, where a lorry was waiting to transport Scouts and equipment to the campsite. The tents were pitched and patrol sites were set up, as well as the flagpole and the latrines.

During the camp there were various hikes, such as a couple of night hikes south to Balinluig and north in the direction of Tummel Bridge, an ascent of Dunfallandy Hill (1343’) and a walk to the Black Spout Waterfall, all starting from the campsite. Camp games included ringstick. There was also various sessions of training and testing, especially on signalling (possibly as practice for a forthcoming signalling competition). Other camp activities included a swim in the river, a blindfold rope trail, a signaling competition between the patrols, and pioneering, which resulted in the construction of a monkey bridge and a ‘transporter’ (aerial runway). Free time usually involved the Scouts wandering into Pitlochry to visit places such as the dam, fish ladder, suspension bridge and the milk bar. There was also a visit to the cinema in Pitlochry to see ‘Doctor in Love’.

An unusual aspect of this camp was that the usual morning inspection included an inspection of the Scouters kitchen by the Patrol Leaders. The camp was visited by various parents such as Mr. & Mrs. McKinnon, Mr. & Mrs. Lind, Mr. & Mrs. Phillips, and Mr. & Mrs. Nisbet. The local District Commissioner, Mr. Barbour, also visited to inspect the camp and wrote ‘All ship-shape’ on the camp permit. Ken Johnson later commented that this could mean ‘all at sea.’ Towards the end of camp, Bob Millar and Alastair Cram made the traditional camp dumpling, while Billy Phillips made ‘cornflake cake’.

On the final day, the camp was struck and the Scouts returned home in the same manner as they had arrived – all except Ian Paterson who got a lift home in Bob Millar’s car.

5.4 Portavadie Easter Camp (20th-25th April 1962)

As far is known, this is the first and only time that the 70th camped at Portavadie. Only 6 Scouts were present and they were organised into two small patrols as follows;

Curlew Patrol: PL Michael Nisbet (Niz), Second Alan Jeyes, and George Conway.

Duck-Billed Platypus Patrol: PL Ian Fraser, Ian Paterson (Kipper), Bobby McCallum

The troop and its equipment travelled by coach to the campsite at Pitlochry ands set up camp at Dunfallandy on the western bank of the River Tummel (Figs. 8 & 9). This was a different campsite from the one used by the 70th in 1936, which was further south at Balinluig.

Leaders: S.M. Bob Miller, Ken Johnston, John Nisbet and Ian McFarlane were present during the first part of camp, with Ken Johnston and John Nisbet returning to Gourock on the 22nd of April. Bob Miller and Ian McFarlane may well have departed home on the 23rd April, on the same day that Alastair Cram (Al) and Albert Runcie (Oz) arrived. Al and Oz then stayed till the end of the camp on the 25th April.

It is believed that the Scouts were camping in the woods just to the north of a BB campsite that was present in Portavadie at the time (approx grid ref 929700) (Fig. 12), and that they played games of football, baseball and ringstick in the camping ground itself (identified as the 'field' in the log book). At the time, Portavadie was quite a remote spot and there was no pier or ferry service. Therefore, the Scouts took the M.V. Lochfyne from Gourock to Tighnabruaich, via Dunoon, Innellan and Rothesay, and were then transported by lorry to the campsite.

During the camp, the Scouts completed several hikes (Fig. 13). To begin with, they climbed up the small hill behind the campsite. A longer hike involved hiking south to visit Standing Stones, a 'haunted house' and a 'fort'. It is likely that this involved hiking what is now called the Stillaig trail. There was another hike to the north of the campsite to find an abandoned village, another haunted house and a vitrified fort. Some of the Scouts completed a long hike occurred on the Monday, but no details were given of what that involved.

On one of the evenings, the Boys Brigade invited the Scouts to their hut for cocoa, cake and buns. On the Sunday, a Scouts Own was held and the Duck Billed Platypus constructed a camp bath plus shower that was tried out by most of the campers. Camp activities also included swimming, signalling practice, plaster casts and a treasure hunt. On the last day, the site was dismantled and cleared up, before the Scouts returned to Tighnabruaich to catch the MV Lochfyne back to Gourock. Before they left the campsite, however, Alastair Cram and Albert Runcie insisted on having a swim in the loch – presumably to maintain a Scouters tradition of swimming in icy cold waters.

In the 1970s, Portavadie was chosen as the site for the construction of an oil rig. The BB hut and campsite were bought over by the oil company and funds were supplied to the BB to build a new hut at Argog Bay to the south of Portavadie. In the end, the oil rig project fell through and a marina has now been built at Portavadie. The area of the old campsite has not been built on and appears to be a picnic area on modern maps.

Click here to see photographs taken at Portavadie Easter Camp.

Click here to see the Curlew Patrol Log describing the camp.

5.5 Easter Camp April 1963

An Easter camp took place in April 1963, which involved 1 patrol of Scouts. Unfortunately, no details about the camp or where it took place were recorded. The only person known to have been present was Billy Phillips, who attended for a couple of days.

5.6 Pitlochry Easter Camp April 1964

In 1964, the 70th returned to Pitlochry (Figures 10 and 11) for their Easter camp, this time with 12 Scouts arranged in three patrols as follows:

Seagull Patrol

PL Michael Nisbet (YN or Nizzy), Second Gifford Lind (Giff), Andrew Pearson (Auck or Aucky), Peter Robertson and John Martin

Patrol X (possibly the Kingfisher)

PL Billy Phillips (Wiff or Wiffel), PL Alan Conway, Robert Morrison, Alex Aitkenhead.

Patrol Y (possibly the Fox)

PL Alan Jeyes, David Flockhart (Bouncer), Gordon Paterson (Herring) and John Foot (a Scout from Stirling).

As far as the Scouters were concerned, Bob Miller (Bob), Alistair Cram (Al) and John Nisbet (Niz) were present, but it is not known whether they were present throughout the camp or not. Ian Fraser (IF) was also present as Troop Leader and it seems likely that he was part of the Scouter team in camp.

The Scouts travelled to Pitlochry by train as in 1961, and a lorry transported the Scouts and equipment from Pitlochry railway station to the campsite. During the camp a number of pioneering projects were completed, namely a flagpole, monkey bridge, transporter (aerial runway) and a catapult. Other camp activities included tracking, making cakes in a camp oven, and training and testing. Camp games focused on football and hoop stick (ringstick).

As far as out-of-camp activities were concerned, there was a visit to the Pitlochry cinema to see a film called ‘The Fast Lady’ - a 1962 comedy starring Stanley Baxter and James Robertson Justice. An ascent of Dunfallandy Hill was also achieved, which included a snowball fight. Free time gave several Scouts the opportunity to hike into Pitlochry to see the dam and the fish ladder. As usual, the Scouts went to church on the Sunday morning, although some enjoyed the walk there and back, more than the service itself.

A number of highlights associated with the camp included Andrew Pearson sitting up in a tree near the Scouters kitchen site making strange noises, and Billy Phillips getting stuck half way on the transporter. An attempt to retrieve him resulted in something breaking, with the result that he ended up in the mud.
The return journey back to Gourock passed without any major incidents.

Click here to see photographs taken at camp

Click here to see the Seagull Patrol Log covering the camp.

5.7 Easter Camps for 1965 and 1966

Unfortunately, it is not known whether an Easter Camp took place in 1965. The Troop Log and Kingfisher Patrol Log covering 1965 are both silent about any such camp. However, it is likely that such a camp did take place, especially as a joint Easter Camp was held with the 5th Scouts from the 8th-13th April at Pitlochry (probably at the same campsite used in 1961 - Dunfallandy). Unfortunately, no written or photographic accounts of the camp have survived, but references to the camp indicate that it was a highly successful one.