Balgownie Hotel

Threatened with demolition and described by the hopeful developer at the time as, 'worthless of preservation', the Balgownie Hotel, affectionately dubbed the 'Fountain on the Mountain' celebrated a centenary of trade on Monday, December 20th, 2004. Balgownie Hotel was designed by architect Alex Elphinstone and built for Francis Caldwell early last century, providing a social and sporting home to many of the typical mining settlements of the time. Pubs were usually one of the first places of business in mining villages, and the miners quickly made Bally Hotel their base. 32 year old Edward Percy Clout was granted the first license of the newly completed Balgownie Hotel on Monday, December 19th, 1904 and trade commenced the following day. Born in Camden, Percy Clout had at least two brothers in the hotel industry who advised him that tradition requires him to provide free beer on opening day. That opening day was clearly remembered a half century later by residents, and in an interview in the 1990s, local historian Vince Ward told how the local mine produced little coal that day. A large number of men were absent from work and the following day was just as bad due to the miners "suffering a self inflicted illness".