The Gleneagles Hotel, Perthshire, is calling for members of the public to share their memories, memorabilia and photographs of the resort, as it gears up to celebrate its 90th anniversary.
Built by the Caledonian Railway Company, Gleneagles first opened its doors on 6th June 1924. Gleneagles – which was hailed as The Palace in the Glens and The Eighth Wonder of the World – quickly became an established part of the society calendar, alongside yachting at Cowes and polo at Deauville.
Over the years, many notable events have taken place at the Perthshire resort, including the first international golf competition between the US and British professionals in 1921; the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference in 1977; and the 2005 G8 summit of world leaders.
Despite its fame, however, archive material about the hotel’s history is sorely lacking, as Diageo archivist Christine McCafferty explains: “Gleneagles has had a fascinating journey over the past 90 years. We know it has played host to Hollywood legends, sportsmen and world leaders – however, we’re not just interested in the rich and famous. We want to hear from the people from all walks of life who have worked and played at Gleneagles in its history.
“We’re building up a great archive, but a lot of the material from the British Rail days has been lost. We know there must be literally thousands of interesting stories, photographs and pieces of memorabilia out there and we’d love to get our hands on them – who knows, we could unearth a bit of missing history.”
Bernard Murphy, Gleneagles GM, says: “Gleneagles is an institution, and one of which everyone who works here is immensely proud to be a part. Although the hotel has evolved with the passing decades, one can’t escape the sense of history and heritage which hits you when you come through the doors. As we approach this milestone birthday, we want to create a resource to share our story with our friends all over the world.
“As well as displays in the hotel, we’ll be asking people to share their memories via social media, and hope to create an online archive in the coming months of photography and memorabilia so that anyone who is interested can get a glimpse of some of the key moments in our 90-year history.”
Readers with archive material should visit the Gleneagles website for more information, or email the team directly.
