Relieving Yourself in Rothesay

By Marg Greenwood

I was instructed by a friend to go the toilets on Rothesay pier. Puzzled, I obeyed. I had unknowingly driven past them when I'd come off the ferry. The notice on the wall of the rather dull-looking building tells you that it is 'the most impressive surviving Gents Public Lavatory in Scotland of the late Victorian Era.'

Rothesay was a lively seaside resort in those days. The Gents was built in 1898 to accommodate vast numbers of tourists and day-trippers who, eager to go 'doon the watter', arrived on paddle steamers from Glasgow.

The attendant made sure the coast was clear for me to enter. I was bowled over by the Gents facilities. Light flooded in from the pitched roof glass panes. In the main area, high glass-sided cisterns fed water into the wall-based urinals through copper pipes; and tesselated grey and white marble flooring reminded me of Roman mosaics. A dado of brown, blue and gold tiling was a striking feature of the stalls area; and in the hand basin section was a marvellous array of grey marble basins with chunky pedestals, above which hung framed photos of the restoration project.

Stout doors to the roomy stalls opened to reveal broad wooden seats and high cisterns with chains, and the blue dado, less ornate than in the main area, gave continuity to the overall effect.

The pièce de resistance was a circular centrepiece of six urinals facing inwards, the marble floor pattern highlighting the circle with its own brown, grey and white pattern. Shining white porcelain bowls, the manufacturer's name 'ADAMANT' clearly visible, contrasted spectacularly with black marble frames.

The Ladies' toilets, built in 1994 by converting storage areas inside the original building, were boring in comparison. This was also the date of the main restoration of the Gents' after being under threat of demolition for eight years. The restoration project was not without challenges. The year before the opening, the Lavatory committee was involved in a dispute with the European Community; apparently the etched glass-fronted cisterns flushed too much water. This issue was fortunately resolved.