Seagate Sawmills

“It was sad to note that Langlands and McAinsh Ltd in Dundee’s Seagate had demolished part of their sawmill,” writes Harry Dye, “but uplifting to read recently about 87-year-old Alec Stewart who has completed seven degrees since the age of 65. Alec worked for McTavish McAinsh Sawmills in Dundee’s West End when he was young.

“The McAinshes, originally from Perthshire, were instrumental in developing the box making trade in Dundee and were well known timber merchants in the city for more than 100 years.

“My great grandfather, Duncan McAinsh founded the Seagate Sawmills – now Langlands and McAinsh – around 1880. Prior to the 1914-18 war it had become one of the biggest sawmills in Scotland. Duncan brought his younger brother James into the prospering firm. They were joined by James Robert Langlands who was made a director of the firm in 1913.

“My great grandfather left the Seagate Sawmills after an acrimonious dispute among the directors to establish another sawmill in a pend off Albert Street before joining up with his middle bother, John, a joiner and Victorian tenement builder.

“Together they went on to develop a small sawmill near the top of Seafield Lane, off the Perth Road. This mill produced boxes for the whisky trade. They also developed a sawmill known as the West End Sawmills in Step Row and Paton’s Lane.

“This mill was rented to David and Andrew Ramsay, relatives of the McAinshes, and was worked by them until the early 1930s when the factory burnt down – probably a not too uncommon occurrence for a timber mill!

“The Ramsays continued in the timber trade as McTavish Ramsay from other premises. My grandfather John (Auld Jake) McAinsh then rebuilt the West End Sawmills around 1931/32. The mill would become McTavish McAinsh and Sons.”