The last Wardlaw Ramsay at Whitehill

Four of the children at Whitehill, 1896

During the first part of the twentieth century the family did live a few years at Whitehill, and the children enjoyed the freedom of the house and grounds. Arthur survived being gassed in the First World War, but his poor state of health meant he could not work. He inherited the estate and found he was still paying off his grandfather’s debts and could not afford to maintain the big house and grounds.  Furthermore, the electricity supply for the village passed through the house, which meant he was paying all the villagers’ electricity bills. Together with his wife, Mary Fraser, and two daughters, Euphan and Elizabeth, they moved to a farm in Somerset, where they lived during the Second World War. Arthur was a keen antiquarian; he had the Ramsay papers catalogued, and bequeathed them to the Scottish National Archive. His daughter Euphan continued his search for safe berths for the Wardlaw Ramsay legacy. As for the house, Whitehill was used as an orphanage for many years, and is now being renovated by its owner, an architect, who has turned the grounds into a prestigious golf course.