How Tam Dalyell won battle of the kitchen table

AS ONE of Westminster’s most outspoken back-benchers, Tam Dalyell was not a man to shy away from confrontation. But the former Labour MP has admitted he adopted a more diplomatic approach in his dealings with the heritage body that runs his ancestral home.

Mr Dalyell, who has lived in the Binns, near Linlithgow in West Lothian, since it was donated by his family to the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) in 1944, recalls a series of battles over astragal windows, paving stones for the 14th-century kitchen and replacement table legs.

On the new Scotland’s Stories heritage website, being launched by the trust on Monday, Mr Dalyell says maintaining good relations was an important aspect of living in a home that is part of Scotland’s heritage.

“This does depend on working harmoniously, with, in our case, the National Trust for Scotland,” he said. “It is an interesting question about harmony and there have been a number of relatively minor differences of opinion.

“One was in the High Hall of the Binns, whether Victorian plate glass windows should be replaced by the astragals, which they certainly would have had in earlier times.

“I thought it was part of the ongoing history of the house that the Victorian plate glass, which gave a wonderful view, unimpeded, should be kept. The National Trust thought that astragals should be installed. The absolutely decisive factor in all this was that my wife Kathleen took the side of the National Trust on astragals, so I was defeated on that.

“The second difference of opinion was that in the bakehouse, the old kitchen of the house, going back to the 14th century, which is very early for Scotland, the floor was jagged rock. I would like to have kept it that way. The trust insisted on bringing in Edinburgh paving stones which they’d got hold of from the city of Edinburgh.

“The argument of the National Trust for Scotland was conclusive on this. They simply said to us, ‘If visitors break their ankles, it’s not you who will be sued, it’ll be us’, and therefore I gave in on it.”

However, Mr Dalyell and his wife, who act as voluntary property managers at the Binns, were successful when they dug their heels in after the NTS wanted to put expensive ornate legs on a marble table, at a cost of £5,000.

“I insisted they keep the kitchen table legs, which were put on in the 1930s so that I or any other small toddler would not drag this heavy table over on ourselves. On this matter, Kathleen and I prevailed.”

NTS chief executive Kate Mavor said: “The trust is uniquely placed in Scotland: it’s the only conservation charity which is responsible for looking after the whole panoply of our heritage – built, natural and cultural.

“Through Scotland’s Stories, we hope to give an insight into the vast array of skills and experience needed to look after the special places and items in our care. All of this goes on day in, day out and often unnoticed.

“We wanted to pull back the curtain on the world of conservation and shine a light on the talent and dedication of the passionate people who keep Scotland’s heritage alive for future generations. So now you know who keeps clocks in Brodie ticking, or Crarae Garden looking ever more exotic.”

A total of 20 people, including a crofter and a marine ranger, appear in Scotland’s Stories, giving an insight into the range of skills and expertise needed to preserve the nation’s heritage.

• To read more, go to www.nts.org.uk/scotlandsstories/ or www.facebook.com/ScotlandsStories.