Largs estate agent finds fascinating historic tile

The intriguing reveal happened during stripping out work taking place at the Mactaggart & Co office at 75 Main Street.

Mactaggart & Co Estate Agency is rebranding, and fully refurbishing and modernising the office which will re-open in the new year.

In the meantime, the staff have relocated across the road to 72-74 Main Street which houses the legal office where the estate agency business is continuing as normal. 

During the strip out some plain green tiles were found, and on closer inspection, director and owner Fergus Duncan thought that he recognised the tiles as being similar to ones his great-grandfather would have designed and manufactured in his tiling firm James Duncan Ltd which operated from 1865-1965.   

Tiles were uncovered during office's refurbishment in Main Street (Image: Mactaggart and Co)

Fergus and his family had no idea that the tiles were used in Largs and his father had indeed spent a fair amount of time looking for them throughout Scotland.

The Mactaggart & Co office opened in 1971 and the office had previously been The Tartan Tea Room, the Buttercup Dairy Shop and Macmillan’s Butchers. 

Original Buttercup business in Largs (Image: Mactaggart and Co)

After carrying out further research, it has been discovered that the tiling was done for the Buttercup Dairy Shop.

The Buttercup Dairy Co devised one of the most artistic and coherent retail house styles to be found on Scottish high streets in the 20th century. 

At its peak in the late 1920s, Buttercup had around 250 branches around Scotland and the north of England, and were staffed entirely by women to keep labour costs to a minimum.

The shops had the tiled panel, framed by a buttercup garland and swags, which was the Buttercup monogram, with the signature of James Duncan Ltd, who supplied the tiles.

Surviving Buttercup fascias with gilded lettering under glass have been uncovered in Selkirk and in Edinburgh, so the find in Largs is particularly unique.

Fergus said: "I was delighted to discover this unexpected link between our estate agency and my great grandfather’s tiling business as the Buttercup Dairy Company was such an important contract for them.

"I’ve scoured many Scottish high streets over the years looking for their tiles.

How the office building used to look (Image: Mactaggart and Co)

"To uncover this connection to our family’s history while renovating our 75 Main Street office has been an unexpected bonus in what was already an exciting time for the future of MacTaggart & Co.

"We would like to ask readers about whether they remember the Buttercup Dairy Shop or any other information on the Tartan Tearoom or Butchers."

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