Walled garden Pennyghael and monkey puzzle tree

Walled garden Pennyghael and monkey puzzle tree

Photo: Effie Fyfe © PPHA

Back in 1934, a young Effie Fyfe (née McGilvray) worked at Pennyghael as a kitchen maid for Mrs Lovelock, the cook.

"They had a huge walled garden and the gardener was Donald McKinnon, who lived with his sister at Rock Cottage. He had green fingers, he used to bring the most beautifully fresh vegetables to the kitchen every morning. One day he dared me to climb the monkey puzzle tree that was growing in the garden and he told me he would give me £5 if I managed to climb it. In the photograph you will see me at the top of the monkey puzzle tree! It was very prickly but I overcame that by wearing very heavy leather gloves, so that I didn't get cut or bruised in any way. Needless to say I never got my reward ! I didn't really expect it anyway!"