Ian Gordon Lindsay
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Ian Gordon Lindsay (29 July 1906 – 28 August 1966) was a Scottish
architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
. He was most noted for his numerous restoration projects, sometimes of whole villages but curiously was also involved in the design of several hydro-electric power stations.


Early life

Lindsay was born in Edinburgh in 1906, son of George Herbert Lindsay, distiller and
baillie A bailie or baillie is a civic officer in the local government of Scotland. The position arose in the burghs, where bailies formerly held a post similar to that of an alderman or magistrate (see bailiff). Baillies appointed the high constables ...
(town councillor), and Helen Eliza Turnbull. He was educated at
Marlborough College Marlborough College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school) for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Founded in 1843 for the sons of Church ...
and
Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...
. Here he began a lifetime friendship with
John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, ...
. Like many artistically-minded Cambridge undergraduates of his generation, Lindsay came under the spell of "Manny": Mansfield Duval Forbes. In his circle, Lindsay made a number of friends who were to have considerable influence on his later work; amongst these were
Raymond McGrath Raymond McGrath (7 March 1903 – 23 December 1977) was an Australian-born architect, illustrator, printmaker and interior designer who for the greater part of his career was Principal Architect for the Office of Public Works in Ireland.Nich ...
, Oliver Hill,
Robert Hurd Robert Philip Andrew Hurd (29 July 1905 – 17 September 1963) was an influential conservation architect. His original aim was to be an architectural author specialising in traditional forms. He came to Scotland in 1930 and worked at the Edinb ...
, Thomas Steuart Fothringham and Robert Simpson.


Architect

After leaving Cambridge he was apprenticed to Reginald Fairlie in 1927. In 1931 he commenced practice on his own account before joining the firm of Orphoot and Whiting in 1933. In 1932 Lindsay married the Hon Maysie Elizabeth Loch, daughter of Major General the 2nd Baron Loch of Drylaw and Stoke College. During the 1930s Lindsay quickly developed a wide circle of personal and professional friends, many of whom were later to provide work for his architectural practice. Amongst these were the 4th Marquess of Bute, and his nephew Major Michael Crichton Stuart, Dr
Francis Carolus Eeles Francis Carolus Eeles (1876 – 17 August 1954, Dunster'Obituary: Dr. F. C. Eeles', ''The Times'', 18 August 1954) was an English liturgical scholar and ecclesiastical historian. Eeles was on the Advisory Committee of the Warham Guild, establishe ...
(secretary of the
Council for the Care of Churches The Central Council for the Care of Churches of the Church of England was formed in 1917, developing from the Central Committee for the Protection of English Churches under the Archbishops' Council. It became the Church Buildings Council in 2007, ...
), J S Richardson (principal inspector of Ancient Monuments) and Peter F. Anson the writer and historian. ''The Dictionary of Scottish Architects'' states that Lindsay's circle of influential contacts was further widened when his sister, Ailsa Margaret Lindsay, married Lt Col Charles Findlay DSO, younger son of architect Lt Col James Leslie Findlay and grandson of
John Ritchie Findlay John Ritchie Findlay (21 October 1824 – 16 October 1898) was a Scottish newspaper owner and philanthropist. Life John Ritchie Findlay was born at Arbroath, Angus, son of Peter Findlay and was educated at Edinburgh University. In 1842, fo ...
of ''
The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its par ...
''. The connection to the Marquess of Bute (and his links to the
National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland ( gd, Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba), is a Scottish conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organ ...
) led Lindsay to be commissioned in 1936 to draw up lists of important buildings in 103 Scottish towns and villages, based on an
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
model of three categories (A,B and C). Lindsay continued this work for many years, although interrupted by the outbreak of
war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
, and this produced the basic list upon which statutory protection for
listed buildings In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
was later introduced in 1947, following expansion to cover all areas. As Orphoot, Whiting and Lindsay the firm began major projects of restoration and renovation in the late 1930s at
Iona Abbey Iona Abbey is an abbey located on the island of Iona, just off the Isle of Mull on the West Coast of Scotland. It is one of the oldest Christian religious centres in Western Europe. The abbey was a focal point for the spread of Christianit ...
, and the
Canongate Kirk The Kirk of the Canongate, or Canongate Kirk, serves the Parish of Canongate in Edinburgh's Old Town, in Scotland. It is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. The parish includes the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament. It i ...
in Edinburgh. In 1934 Lindsay joined the ruling council of the
Cockburn Association The Cockburn Association (Edinburgh's Civic Trust) is one of the world's oldest architectural conservation and urban planning monitoring organisations, founded in 1875. The Scottish judge Henry Cockburn (1779–1854) was a prominent campaigner t ...
, the influential Edinburgh conservation organisation, a position he retained for the next 31 years. In 1939, under the auspices of the Cockburn Association, he published ''Old Edinburgh, 1947'' (Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd, 1947), containing a comprehensive survey and map of the remaining intact historic buildings in Edinburgh. During the war Lindsay served in the
Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
. By 1945, in the rank of Major, he was serving with the
British Army of the Rhine There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine (BAOR). Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War and the other after the Second World War. Both formations had areas of responsibility located ...
repairing war damaged buildings and constructing refugee accommodation. After the war Lindsay returned to architecture, gaining Fellowship of the
RIBA The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three supp ...
in 1949. In early 1952 the practice became Ian G Lindsay and Partners, and began the reconstruction of many small houses in the historic burgh of
Culross Culross (/ˈkurəs/) (Scottish Gaelic: ''Cuileann Ros'', 'holly point or promontory') is a village and former royal burgh, and parish, in Fife, Scotland. According to the 2006 estimate, the village has a population of 395. Originally, Culross ...
in
Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...
, on behalf of the
National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland ( gd, Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba), is a Scottish conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organ ...
. Similar projects for the Trust followed, across Scotland. In the late 1950s and early 1960s Ian Lindsay undertook a major project involving the renovation of more than one hundred buildings in
Inveraray Inveraray ( or ; gd, Inbhir Aora meaning "mouth of the Aray") is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is on the western shore of Loch Fyne, near its head, and on the A83 road. It is a former royal burgh, the traditional county town of Arg ...
, in Argyll, which had been previously gifted to the nation by the
Duke of Argyll Duke of Argyll ( gd, Diùc Earraghàidheil) is a title created in the peerage of Scotland in 1701 and in the peerage of the United Kingdom in 1892. The earls, marquesses, and dukes of Argyll were for several centuries among the most powerful ...
. Another major restoration, that of
Pluscarden Abbey Pluscarden Abbey is a Catholic Benedictine monastery in the glen of the Black Burn, southwest of Elgin, Moray, Scotland. It was founded in 1230 by Alexander II for the Valliscaulian Order. In 1454, following a merger with the priory of Urqu ...
in Moray began at this time and was completed after Lindsay's death by William Murray Jack (1921–1999). Ian Lindsay died of Hodgkin's Disease in
Bangour Hospital Bangour Village Hospital was a psychiatric hospital located west of Dechmont in West Lothian, Scotland. During the First World War it formed part of the much larger Edinburgh War Hospital. History The hospital was modelled on the village system ...
in 1966. At his express wish his ashes were scattered from a boat into the waters of Iona Sound. The practice continued his work into the 1970s.


Legacy

Many of Ian Lindsay's drawings and other papers are preserved by the
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) was an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government that was "sponsored" inanced and with oversightthrough Historic Scotland, an executive ...
in the Ian G Lindsay Collection. In 1980 Dr Ronald Cant established and endowed the Lindsay-Fischer lectureship, administered by The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, in honour of Ian Lindsay and Gerhard Fischer (1890-1977). The lectureship commemorates the men's work on the historic architecture of Scotland and Norway respectively and their achievements in promoting relations between Scottish and Norwegian scholars. The Lindsay-Fischer Lecture is given in Scotland by a Scandinavian scholar and the Fischer-Lindsay Lecture is given in Oslo by a Scottish scholar, in alternate years.Obituary Ronald Gordon Cant 1908 - 1999, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (130) 2000
/ref>


Principal works

*Interior of
Ceres Ceres most commonly refers to: * Ceres (dwarf planet), the largest asteroid * Ceres (mythology), the Roman goddess of agriculture Ceres may also refer to: Places Brazil * Ceres, Goiás, Brazil * Ceres Microregion, in north-central Goiás ...
Parish Church *Private apartments at
Inveraray Castle Inveraray Castle (pronounced or ; Scottish Gaelic ''Caisteal Inbhir Aora'' ) is a country house near Inveraray in the county of Argyll, in western Scotland, on the shore of Loch Fyne, Scotland's longest sea loch. It is one of the earliest ex ...
(1930) *Restoration of
Culross Culross (/ˈkurəs/) (Scottish Gaelic: ''Cuileann Ros'', 'holly point or promontory') is a village and former royal burgh, and parish, in Fife, Scotland. According to the 2006 estimate, the village has a population of 395. Originally, Culross ...
village for the
National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland ( gd, Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba), is a Scottish conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organ ...
(1932-6) *Memorial Chapel in St John's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh (1933) *Restoration of
St Monans ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
Parish Church (1935) *St Finnan's RC Church,
Invergarry Invergarry ( gd, Inbhir Garadh) is a village in the Highlands of Scotland. It is in the Great Glen, near where the River Garry flows into Loch Oich Loch Oich (; gd, Loch Omhaich) is a freshwater loch in the Highlands of Scotland which forms p ...
(1936) *Various rebuilding projects for the
National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland ( gd, Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba), is a Scottish conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organ ...
in the village of Falkland (1936-8) *"Period Rooms" for the Glasgow Empire Exhibition (1938) *Restoration of
Iona Abbey Iona Abbey is an abbey located on the island of Iona, just off the Isle of Mull on the West Coast of Scotland. It is one of the oldest Christian religious centres in Western Europe. The abbey was a focal point for the spread of Christianit ...
(1938) (commission passed by Reginald Fairlie). *Restoration of
Canongate Kirk The Kirk of the Canongate, or Canongate Kirk, serves the Parish of Canongate in Edinburgh's Old Town, in Scotland. It is a congregation of the Church of Scotland. The parish includes the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament. It i ...
and manse (1939) *Restoration of Achnacarry House, Inverness-shire (1947) *Restoration of pulpit in North Leith Parish Church, Madeira Street,
Leith Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by '' Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world. The earliest ...
(1948) *War memorial in
St Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh The Parish Church of St Cuthbert is a parish church of the Church of Scotland in central Edinburgh. Probably founded in the 7th century, the church once covered an extensive parish around the Old Town of Edinburgh, burgh of Edinburgh. The church' ...
(1950) *Restoration of Aldie Castle (1950-5) *Restoration of
Airlie Castle Airlie Castle is a mansion house in the parish of Airlie, Angus, near the junction of the Isla and Melgund rivers, 9 kilometres west of Kirriemuir, Angus, Scotland. A castle was built on the site in c. 1432 and was burnt out in 1640, with a mansi ...
(1956) *Lussa Power Station (for Hydro-Electric Board) (1956) *Restoration of
Culross Culross (/ˈkurəs/) (Scottish Gaelic: ''Cuileann Ros'', 'holly point or promontory') is a village and former royal burgh, and parish, in Fife, Scotland. According to the 2006 estimate, the village has a population of 395. Originally, Culross ...
Town Hall (1957) *Restoration of St Oran's Chapel, Iona (1957) *Restoration of Druminnor Castle (1958) *Major restoration of the town of
Inverary Inveraray ( or ; gd, Inbhir Aora meaning "mouth of the Aray") is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is on the western shore of Loch Fyne, near its head, and on the A83 road. It is a former royal burgh, the traditional county town of ...
(1958) *Restoration of riverside buildings of
Cramond Cramond Village (; gd, Cathair Amain) is a village and suburb in the north-west of Edinburgh, Scotland, at the mouth of the River Almond where it enters the Firth of Forth. The Cramond area has evidence of Mesolithic, Bronze Age and Roman ac ...
Village (1959) *Restoration of Tullibole Castle home of the Scott-Moncrieffs (1959) *Major rebuilding and restoration of Newhaven Village (1960-6) *Restoration of
Cawdor Castle Cawdor Castle is a castle in the parish of Cawdor in Nairnshire, Scotland. It is built around a 15th-century tower house, with substantial additions in later centuries. Originally a property of the Calder family, it passed to the Campbells in t ...
(of Macbeth fame) (1960) *Restorations and new-build on Dean Path,
Dean Village Dean Village (from ''dene'', meaning 'deep valley') is a former village immediately northwest of the city centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is bounded by Belford Road to the south and west, Belgrave Crescent Gardens to the north and below the ...
, Edinburgh (1960) *Restoration of
Inveraray Castle Inveraray Castle (pronounced or ; Scottish Gaelic ''Caisteal Inbhir Aora'' ) is a country house near Inveraray in the county of Argyll, in western Scotland, on the shore of Loch Fyne, Scotland's longest sea loch. It is one of the earliest ex ...
(1960) *Restoration of the "Little Houses" in
Culross Culross (/ˈkurəs/) (Scottish Gaelic: ''Cuileann Ros'', 'holly point or promontory') is a village and former royal burgh, and parish, in Fife, Scotland. According to the 2006 estimate, the village has a population of 395. Originally, Culross ...
(1960) *Various additions and restorations at
Pluscarden Abbey Pluscarden Abbey is a Catholic Benedictine monastery in the glen of the Black Burn, southwest of Elgin, Moray, Scotland. It was founded in 1230 by Alexander II for the Valliscaulian Order. In 1454, following a merger with the priory of Urqu ...
(1960) * Loch Gair Power Station (1961) *Restoration of Old Breachacha Castle on the island of
Coll Coll (; gd, Cola; sco, Coll)Mac an Tàilleir (2003) p. 31 is an island located west of the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Coll is known for its sandy beaches, which rise to form large sand dunes, for its corncrakes, and ...
(1961) *Expansion of Huntly House Museum into old tenements to west (1962) *New terraced housing at Union Street,
Lochgilphead Lochgilphead (; gd, Ceann Loch Gilb ) is a town and former burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, United Kingdom, with a population of around 2,300 people. It is the administrative centre of Argyll and Bute. The village lies at the end of Loch G ...
(1963) *Prestigious restoration of
New Lanark New Lanark is a village on the River Clyde, approximately 1.4 miles (2.2 kilometres) from Lanark, in Lanarkshire, and some southeast of Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1785 and opened in 1786 by David Dale, who built cotton mills and hou ...
village (1964) *Restoration and extensions to St. Cecilia's Hall for Edinburgh University (1966) *Restoration of
Barscobe Castle Barscobe Castle is a 17th-century tower house in Balmaclellan, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. It is a typical house of a country laird, and according to a panel above the entrance, was built in 1648. The L-plan tower was constructed using stone ...
for Sir Hugh Wontner (1970)


Lindsay's publications

*''The Cathedrals of Scotland'' Edinburgh, W & R Chambers, 1926 *''Old Edinburgh, 1939'' Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd, 1939 *''Old Elgin'' (with Ronald G Cant) Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd, 1945 *''Old Edinburgh, 1947'' Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd, 1947 *''Old Glasgow'' (with Ronald G Cant) Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd, 1947 *''Old Stirling'' (with Ronald G Cant) Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd, 1947 *''The Architecture of Scotland'' London, The Arts Council of Great Britain, 1948 *''Georgian Edinburgh'' Edinburgh, Oliver & Boyd, 1948 *''The Church (Canongate booklets; no.1)'' Edinburgh, Rev.R.S.Wright, 1950 *''Culross, The Royal Burgh of'' Edinburgh, The National Trust for Scotland, 1959 (pamphlet) *''The Scottish Parish Kirk'' Edinburgh, The Saint Andrew Press, 1960 *''Inveraray & the Dukes of Argyll'' (with Mary Cosh) Edinburgh, The Edinburgh University Press, 1973


References


Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lindsay, Ian Gordon 1906 births 1966 deaths Architects from Edinburgh 20th-century Scottish architects Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge People educated at Marlborough College Deaths from cancer in Scotland Burials at sea