John MacKinnon outside the Lodge at Kirkapol

Photograph of John MacKinnon outside the Lodge at Kirkapol.

Courtesy of Mrs Jean Lindsay

John MacKinnon of Lodge Farm, Kirkapol is pictured here outside the Lodge with Lady Victoria Campbell’s buckboard. The daughter of the 8th Duke of Argyll, Lady Victoria contracted polio in 1859 when she was five years old and was lame for the rest of her life.

When rough seas or low tides made it impossible for passengers to board the lighter for the mail-boat at either of the small piers at Scarinish harbour, the boat was run in as far as possible on the beach at Gott Bay.

‘Faithful John’, as he was dubbed by Lady Victoria, would drive the horse and buckboard through the surf to transfer her to the stranded lighter, fortunately always without accident.

Black and white photograph of the Lodge during World War I.

Lady Victoria`s buckboard outside the Lodge during World War I.
John MacKinnon of Lodge Farm, Kirkapol is pictured here outside the Lodge with Lady Victoria Campbell’s buckboard. The daughter of the 8th Duke of Argyll, Lady Victoria contracted polio in 1859 when 5 years old and was lame for the rest of her life.
When rough seas or low tides made it impossible for passengers to board the lighter for the mail-boat at either of the small piers at Scarinish harbour, the boat was run in as far as possible on the beach at Gott Bay.
‘Faithful John’ would drive the horse and buckboard through the water to the stranded lighter to transfer Lady Victoria, fortunately always without accident.