Stock : Bishopton

Stock Photography: Renfrewshire

Bishopton

I have amassed a large collection of Stock Photography images which previously could be accessed via a link to Photographers Direct.com. This was a well-established website with well over one million images on record, supplied by thousands of photographers worldwide. However, in early 2019 the site folded without warning or explanation, I suspect as the result of a downturn in the Stock Photography market.

As an alternative means of displaying my stock images, I am in the early stages of creating a series of thumbnail gallery pages featuring shots previously held by PD in addition to some of those included in the main posts. Due to the large number of JPEG files I have not attempted to re-keyword individual files as before but have grouped them under general headings so that they can be accessed via a general search. Larger categories will be sub-divided and some subjects may be duplicated on one or more pages.

The Formakin Estate

March 2021

Please note that all my images are subject to copyright. They are not free to use and have been embedded with a digital watermark. Also bear in mind that the thumbnails displayed are relatively low-quality, may be under or over exposed, and do not fully reflect the standard of images produced from the high-resolution files supplied to clients.

The Formakin Estate lies close to Bishopton in the Renfrewshire hills. It was bought in 1903 by Paisley businessman John Augustus Holms who employed Sir Robert Lorimer, a famous Scottish architect, to design a house (above) and surrounding buildings in the style of a 17th century Scots Baronial mansion. The home was intended to allow Holms to show off his vast collection of art, Chinese porcelain, Oriental rugs and English furniture.

The above photo of Holmes is displayed on the information board in the estate car park. Unfortunately he never saw the completion of his project as he was seriously injured in a riding accident then lost his fortune soon after, thanks to the illicit dealings of a business partner. He was unable to pay the workmen and they downed tools in 1913 as soon as they made the main house wind and watertight. The estate was sold after Holms's death in 1938 for £7,000, although the new owner never lived there. To add to the illusion of a historical property a stone tablet above the courtyard entrance is inscribed with the date `1694` and the letters `DL`. The letters, however, rather than family initials, stand for "Damned Lie"!