The Scots in Sarasota
“There’s a sign at the bottom of Main Street in Sarasota that announces the ‘Landing of the Scots.’ Time to dig deeper! ”
In the winter of 1895, a group of Scottish families took up the offer to purchase “an estate of forty acres in that marvellous land and a town lot besides!” All for a mere 100 Scottish Pounds.
The Scottish families looked quite hopeful before they arrived in Sarasota.
Departing from Greenock near Glasgow, it took their ship 15 days to cross a turbulent, wintery Atlantic. New York City offered a short respite before they set off again down the Eastern Seaboard to the settlement of Fernandina, Florida, north of Jacksonville. Here, locals implored them to stay and make the east coast their new home but the intrepid Scots pressed on, determined to reach their own semi-tropical Shangri-La.
“Set a spell, take your shoes off,” ”
Next, they rode a rickety train across Central Florida via Gainesville to Cedar Key, a cluster of small islands, 180 miles north of their final destination. The Scots-born naturalist, John Muir had preceded them by about 30 years when he trekked 1000 miles from Kentucky. He went on to become the father of America’s National Park System.
Here again, locals implored them to put down roots! The Scots spent two weeks enjoying the semi-tropical islands; hunting, fishing and dancing reels with the locals but they were determined to push on to reach their purchased properties.
At last, they embarked on the final leg of their long journey. Only a couple of days before Christmas, 1885 they entered Sarasota Bay and reality stood starkly before them. The elegant township of Sarasota did not exist!
There wasn’t even a dock to land on. As they waded ashore, they faced mosquito-infested swamps and had to build lean-to shelters from the palm fronds. There were no buildings or hotels to accommodate the colony, so they were forced to stay with other settlers or in small palmetto huts in freezing conditions, according to an article called "The Landing of the Scots," on Sarasota History Alive.
To top it all, it was one of the coldest winters on record.
The landing of the Scots occurred two days before Christmas at present-day Marina Jack's in Sarasota.
Upon their arrival, the settlers had to wade through the water to the shore since there was no dock.
It actually snowed in Sarasota that year on Christmas day, possibly a good sign. But that February any hope of a profitable and successful citrus crop crumbled when a second, more severe freeze hit the area and crippled the citrus economy.
And as if this wasn’t enough, that winter, it snowed! It never snows in Sarasota!
Most families said ‘stuff this’ and took the next boat back to Scotland.
The Gillespie Clubhouse, 1905
CULTURE VULTURES
Today, Sarasota serves as Florida’s cultural capital offering opera, theatre, museums and art. But I come here to dance! I’ve visited the city on extended stays over the past few years and developed a taste for its Latino clubs. On St Armands Circle, 15 South is an Italian restaurant with incredible salsa and merengue evenings on Fridays and Saturdays. Clasico on Main St also has a Cuban night on Wednesdays and is usually packed.
It also sports perhaps the best beach in America, Siesta Key whose powdery, snow-white sand stretches for some 7 or 8 miles. Lido Key is also rather heavenly, and nicely located near St Armands Circle, the place to go for stylish shopping and dining.
While we were here, the Suncoast Classic had come to town, an inaugural iteration of the Web.Com tour so worth a look. The event is in its infancy and the field was slim but I reckon it’ll grow, especially if they return to this amazing golf course! Lakewood National Golf Club has two relatively new Arnold Palmer-approved courses. On Florida’s flat terrain, they’ve done a really nice job of pushing the earth around to create very interesting, challenging holes. The 10th, 11th and 12th (which were the 1st, 2nd and 3rd during the Suncoast event) are by far the most demanding. I didn’t get to play (didn’t qualify) but we walked the entire course following the tournament and will definitely be back armed with sticks to sample this new course.
GOLF AROUND
Sarasota offers a plethora of courses such as University Park or the historic Bobby Jones Golf Club just off Fruitville Road. If you’re planning on playing a lot of golf in the Sarasota area, by the way, the Suncoast Trail Card, costing just over $60 gives significantly reduced green fees at a number of courses in the area including Lakewood National. You need to order online before you travel so get in touch well in advance.
LONGBOAT KEY CLUB
Two courses not on the card but well worth a visit are the dynamic duo of Harbourside and Links at The Resort at Longboat Key Club. You have to stay at the resort to play but that’s ok. With miles of beach at your beck & call and a comfortable, secluded resort that’s about to receive a multi-million dollar makeover, what’s not to love? The Harbourside’s my favourite, especially the closing holes.
Heading down Interstate 75, there are a couple of courses also worth stopping for; Old Corkscrew, an aptly named Jack Nicklaus Signature layout just south of Fort Myers or indeed Raptor Bay nearby on the coast close to Bonita Springs, both superb experiences.
Old Story Starts
There’s a sign at the bottom of Main Street in Sarasota that reads ‘Landing of the Scots.’ I was intrigued! The story goes… in the winter of 1895, a group of Edinburgh families were ‘sold a pup’ by Scottish land developer, Sir John Gillespie. For £100, they were offered “an estate of forty acres in that marvellous land, and a town lot besides!” The company had enticed a group of Scottish colonists to Sarasota in 1885 to help settle its 50,000-acre holdings, which included most of the land constituting the present City of Sarasota.
When they arrived, there was no sign of a town whatsoever, only mosquito-infested swamps!
“The Father of Sarasota,” John Hamilton Gillespie, was born in 1852 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He arrived here in 1886 to assist the failing Florida Mortgage and Investment Company, a development company partially owned by his father in Edinburgh. The company had enticed a group of Scottish colonists to Sarasota in 1885 to help settle its 50,000-acre holdings, which included most of the land constituting the present City of Sarasota. The settlers arrived to find most of the company’s promises unfulfilled. Gillespie was dispatched to improve the situation. Many disillusioned colonists left, however, and the company entered liquidation proceedings. Gillespie remained in Sarasota after the court appointed him to manage the assets of the company there. He organized the clearing of three miles of Main Street, the building of a substantial wharf on the waterfront, and the beginning of a 40-acre experimental farm. In 1902, he was elected the first mayor of Sarasota when the town was incorporated and held this office for six terms. He also served his community as Justice of Peace for years and Notary Public ten years.
But instead of the established community and arable land that had been promised them, they found a palmetto wilderness. To top it all, it snowed that winter. Many of them packed up and went back to Scotland.
The company that had sold them the land was the Florida Mortgage and Investment Company based in Edinburgh and established by a certain Sir John Gillespie. So the Sarasota you might find it was quite a lot of great things to do but they're on the other hand it's a bit after fart it x x exclamation mark why doesn't doing exclamation mark. The best thing about Sarasota has got to be the beaches. Several areas in each of them all award-winning the best you find in the United States.
