Thread by @cocteautriplets

There is a building in Craiglockhart that frequently comes up in property listings (as it is now converted to a lot of retirement homes) with the romantic and ancient sounding name of Perdrixknowe

The name is straightforward enough, Perdrix is the French for Partridge, Knowe is the Scots for a hillock or a mound (from the English Knoll). Often a knowe specifically meant a gather place for fairies.

James Steuart, in his history of Colinton Parish, records that the Partridge Knowe, or Patrickes Know (Perdrix frequently became Patrick in Scots placenames) was the rise in the ground to the north of the Craiglockhart and Craighouse hills.

It's barely discernable there in Roy's Lowland map of ~1750 (NLS, maps.nls.uk), and there are other -Knowe names nearby (Broomyknowe just to the south, Kingsknowe to the west etc.) John Thomson helpfully records the name in his 1830s "Atlas of Scotland"

But the name Perdrixknowe, ancient as it may be, was only given to the house in 1990 when it was converted to retirement flats. It was built in 1884, architect Sir James Gowans, as "Waverley House", for local fountain pen magnate Duncan Cameron (Map 1892 OS 1:25 inch via NLS)

Duncan Cameron and his brothers owned the printing and stationery firm Macniven and Cameron. Duncan joined the business in 1850 and in 1862 patented a new fountain pen nib, "The Waverley", with a fine, upturned point so as to better write on rougher papers.

The name was of course taken from the works of Walter Scott, as just about everything popular in Scotland seemed to be at the time, and the tin in which the nibs came even had his image on it.

The Waverley nib was a smash hit success, and with its stablemates The Owl and The Pickwick, Macniven and Camerons became one of *the* names in pens and fabulously wealthy.

The Macniven and Cameron sales motto was "They came as a boon and a blessing to men, The Pickwick, The Owl and the Waverley Pen" and made it all around the world. This beautiful advert is in the Library of Congress (loc.gov/resource/pga.0…)

A certain generation of rail traveller may recall the enamelled Macniven and Cameron signs that used to prominently greet the public at mainline railway stations flickr.com/photos/allybea…

Back to Duncan Cameron, like all self respecting Victorian businessmen, he had himself built a fabulous villa - and Gowans was one of the top local architects. The house itself heavily referenced the source of Cameron's wealth; look at the fountain pen mouldings and chimney pots

And the grand staircase balusters are apparently based on fountain pens (I can't find a photo however). Cameron also bought himself a newspaper, The Oban Times, and put his son - also Duncan Cameron - in charge.

When Duncan Junior returned to Edinburgh to join the pen business, Cameron placed another son, Waverley Cameron in charge. Waverley drowned in a tragic yachting accident off nearby Lismore in June 1891 when their boat was swamped by a sudden squall.

Waverley's hat was all that was recovered. His friend, Donald Campbell later succumbed to his prolonged immersion and only Allan MacDonald survived. Duncan Senior had a large Celtic cross built on the Lismore shore at a spot close to where the boat went down (pic Wikipedia)

In 1911, the Oban Times editor's chair was filled by Flora Macaulay, eldest Cameron daughter, when she and her husband retired to Oban. The Macaulay's lived above the Oban Times offices in a 2nd floor apartment (pic Gerald England via Geograph).

Flora remained involved in the running of the Oban Times for the final 47 years of her life. She was a supporter of Highland culture and the Gaelic language, and in 1947 helped establish the Macaulay Cup for shinty (pic Wikipedia).

She died in Oban in 1958 at the age of 99, and was returned to the Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh to be buried alongside her first husband and near the Cameron family plot, a vast Celtic cross marking the spot (pic Wikipedia).

Thanks to Ian for reminding me about another talented member of the Cameron family: