Craighead House, 94 Tay Street

This area of land south of Tay Street was owned by the Clydesdale Bank in the mid-nineteenth century, hence the name Bank Street. Craighead House, briefly named Bank House, was built in the early 1850s for Clydesdale Bank manager Duncan Sidey. After his death in 1886 his daughter then married Joseph John Johnstone and they lived there until 1931.

Craighead House Hotel

The property was then purchased by a Miss Thomson. In the mid-1930s she operated it as Craighead House Hotel, probably for no more than two years. On the small information card issued by the hotel, it can be seen that Craighead House had rather a prestigious and easily remembered telephone number – Newport 1!

In the 1950s and 1960s Craighead was home to Richard West, Provost of the burgh 1955-57.