Dreadful Gig Accident

Kylie Minogue at the Castle Esplanade or Foo Fighters at Murrayfield Stadium are perhaps what first spring to mind when the word ‘Gig’ is mentioned today. Indeed, it is slang for the word ‘engagement’ and has been in use to describe live musical performances since the 1920’s. However, this story relates to another meaning of a word which dates back as far as the 18th century and is the focus of a tragic local event which occurred in 1855.

The gig to which this newspaper article refers was a light, two-wheeled vehicle pulled by one horse. (See photograph below.) The driver (and passenger in some versions) were seated high up above the wheels and being sprung, a gig was more comfortable than a simple cart. As a fast and highly manoeuvrable vehicle – the light sports car of its day - gigs were often driven recklessly causing frequent spills and narrow escapes. Was this the cause of our gig tragedy? Was George Kynoch the 19th century equivalent of a boy racer? We may never know, but it is not difficult to imagine the inherent dangers of driving a horse-drawn vehicle down the steep hill which still exists on the approach to Queensferry. 

Quite apart from the actual accident, the newspaper article also gives us some interesting insights into life during the mid-19th century. Motor vehicles were still some way off and the railway had not yet come to Kirkliston or Queensferry at the time of the accident. Horse-drawn travel was the main alternative to Shanks’s Pony for those who could afford it. The article also tells us something about the mobility of the population, for William Gilfillan was from Glasgow whilst George Kynoch hailed from Aberdeen. These cities were rather more than a 40 minute or 2-hour car journey away yet people were clearly prepared to travel quite far from their homes in search of employment.

The distillery in Kirkliston to which the article refers was established in 1795 and was located at the bottom of Path Brae. It ceased to be a distillery in 1920 but continued life as a malster (the preparation of malt for brewing purposes) until closure in 1988. The sprawling complex was finally demolished in September 2006, apart from a single kiln tower preserved for posterity in Pikes Pool Drive (see below) and now converted into a desirable residence. Much to the disgust of local residents, the site remained an ugly eyesore for several years until the homes that stand there now were built.

One final point of interest regarding gigs – older readers may be familiar with the slang word ‘giglamps’ applied to ‘spectacles’. This came about as - at night - gigs carried two oil lamps with thick glass, known as gig-lamps, hence the word coming into popular use.

A P George
Kirkliston Heritage Society

SOURCES AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Google Earth
Wikipedia
National Library of Scotland