In September of 1917 Nursing Sister Ruby Peterkin had been granted leave by the Medical Board but had not yet been diagnosed with tuberculosis. In November she would be posted to No. 4 Canadian General Hospital in Basingstoke, England, this time as a patient rather than a nurse. She is given leave to travel in Scotland.
It was back in 1912 that Ruby and Irene had enjoyed a long summer holiday with the Rosedale Travel Club which took them to Scotland. This time Ruby’s travelling companion is a Miss Austin who would be Pearl Beatrice Austin of Fenelon Falls. Like Ruby, Nursing Sister Austin has been unwell, in her case as a result of her military service.
Among the highlights are tea at Balmoral Castle with the castle house-keeper Miss Rothuie (the Windsors were not at home) and then a short stay at Monaltrie House, a 200-year old stately home where they are the guests of the residents, Mr. and Mrs. Yarrow.
This is the final World War I Ruby Peterkin letter that has survived. It has been an extraordinary three years for her, and in many ways a “fun time” although strict wartime censorship shielded her readers from the horrors she undoubtedly experienced as a nurse in Salonika. In her final words, “we get cheap rates everywhere and every one you meet will help you out and go out of their way to be decent to you. I think I shall wear uniform always.”
There will be one further post with an illustrated summary of Ruby’s return to Toronto and marriage to Dr. Hugh McKay, her recovery from TB in the Calydor Sanatarium in Gravenhurst, and busy life after the war.
Oban, Scotland, Oct. 9 – 1917
Dear Rene –
It is over a week since I wrote to you last and we have been on the go ever since. I don’t think I have written since I left London, have I ? It has been rather strenuous since then, it is hard to remember.
We came up to Edinburgh (I believe I did write from there) and left early Sunday a.m. for Aberdeen. In the afternoon we did that city – took the train out to the River Don saw the old bridge and walk along the old road to the old Cathedral of Machar which is on the site of the first Christian Church in Scotland and was built itself in 1357 or there about. We saw the old college and then took the train across the city to the River Don and saw the old bridge there. Both of these are about five hundred years old. Then next morning we went out by train to Ballater. Do you remember my telling you of a Mrs. Carlisle who I met in London before I went to France. I had tea with her one day and she took us motoring. Well, I phoned her when I was in London and went to see her. When I told her I was going to
Balmoral Castle
Scotland she said she had a sister living at Ballater and to be sure to go to see her if I went there that the house she lived in was worth seeing in itself. So Miss Austin and I wanted to see Balmoral (8 miles from Ballater) so decided to stay in Ballater, see Bal. that p.m. and go on to Braemar next day. We went to call on Mrs. Yarrow (Mrs. Carlisle’s sister) early in the afternoon. The house is about a mile from the village but the grounds and drive reach down to one end of the village. The house is Monaltrie House and was the old home of the
Monaltrie House today
Farquharsons of Invercauldie. They have built a new house (some fifty years ago) and the Yarrows lease this one and the grounds and live in it in the summer. Their winter residence is in London. They have been going up there for thirty-four years. The house is over two hundred years old, a long low white stone building full of lovely old furniture. Mr. and Mrs. Yarrow and her sister Mrs. Galbraith were charming to us and Mrs. Yarrow insisted on our staying with them. They have not been running their car since the war began, having loaned it for Red Cross work but Mrs. Galbraith got a car and drove us to Balmoral that p.m. They have made friends with the house-keeper there and she showed us all over the Castle then gave us tea in her rooms. Tea in Balmoral Castle – my dear – I may mention that none of the Windsor family were are home, and Miss Rothuie (the h-k) asked us not to say anything about been through their residence.
We intended going on to Braemar next day and returning the day after as there is only one coach a day running now and it returns early in the a.m. but Mr. Yarrow got a car and he and Mrs. Galbraith drove us to Braemar, and about eight miles beyond to the Lyn of Dee where the Dee River runs between chasms in the rocks only about four feet wide and the water rushes at a terrific rate. It is absolutely beautiful and the drive is wonderful – past Mar Castle, the home of the Duchess of Fife, and Invercauldie House. We had lunch at Braemar and returned to Monaltrie House in time for tea. The meals we had there!! The dinners were wonderful and the table a dream. We went out to the garden next morning. It [is] quite a walk from the house thro the Park and is surrounded by a stone wall all around which fruit trees have been trained like vines close to the wall. It is like the gardens one reads about with a green house and a sun dial in the middle. Then we went down to see the game-keeper starting out with a few non-descript men on a hunt, with the dogs following on chains. Then they took us to see the kennels where the rest of the dogs were.
On the whole it is a perfectly delightful place surrounded by hills and the River Dee flowing in front. They have five maids, a boy, a game-keeper, a ghillie (a fish-keeper) three gardeners and then they told us they had let nearly all the men servants go when the war began! And yet they were the simplest and sweetest people you could imagine – not a suspicion of swank.
Well, we left there (with deep regret) on Wednesday for Aberdeen and got the train for Inverness. We did Inverness Thursday a.m. drove out Culloden Moor in p.m. and left Friday by boat down the Caledonian Canal to Fort Augustus. It was cold and rainy nearly all the way but we stayed on deck most of the time. The scenery was so wonderful – snow on all the mountain-tops. In fact, we had had snow that a.m. We stayed at Fort Augustus that night and Miss Austin & I came on to Fort William along the side of the locks. Stagg returned to Edinburgh to meet her sister. We had about four hours in F. Wm. and the man in a little shop where we bought post cards told us we should walk over to Banavie where we would get a much better view of Ben Nevis. He said it was only three miles but they must have been Scotch miles! We saw Inver Lochy Castle on the way and it was only about two thirds of the way there and I read in the guide book that it was three and a half miles from F. Wm. However, we reached Banavie but had the time to take the stroll by the canal recommended by our friend Mr. McIntyre. We turned right round and walked right home again and while about a mile and a half from the town saw a motor coming. We were desperate enough to hail it and ask for a ride. It was a private car but empty so the man drove us back in time to get the coach. We motored therefore to Ballachulish and crossed in the ferry to the hotel. It is practically closed for the season but the proprietress is an awfully good sort and took us in to the family. She has two of the sweetest little girls five and eight and her husband is a Captain in the Vetinary [sic] Corps in Salonique. She has three brothers out there too. The hotel is probably one of the finest in the season. It is the most magnificent spot you can imagine. You should go there on your honeymoon, Rene, I can recommend it. It rained all day Sunday and we sat by the fire. Monday we took the boat up to Kinlochleven and had lunch there. To-day we came on by train to Oban. To-morrow we go by motor coach to Ardrishaig then by boat to Glasgow. We shall take a flying look at Loch Lomond and then go down to Devonshire, to Lynmouth probably and settle down for our leave returning to London a few days before the first of Nov. when we have to appear there before the board.
It is great travelling in uniform, we get cheap rates everywhere and every one you meet will help you out and go out of their way to be decent to you. I think I shall wear uniform always.
Ruby in uniform
Do let Ern and Minnie and the Madison Ave. family read this itinerary because I could never write it all our again. If you see Mossie you might also let her read it. Do you ever see her?
One thing we have both acquired on this trip and that is chilblains, so if you have not already changed those boots I sent back, you had better get them only one size narrower, same length you know. To think of going all thro Salonique without them and then getting them in Scotland! Horrible isn’t it?
I expect to get mail in Glasgow so hope to hear from you there. For any fuller details of our trip, see guide book.
Yours as ever,
Ruby
Charles Peterkin's Journey 