Tarlair Swimming Pool Complex
Date 14 May 2008
Event ID 909098
Category Management
Type Site Management
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/909098
Art Deco tidal swimming pool, boating pool and paddling pool surrounded by curved walkways, with associated tea pavilion at the head of the boating pool. Changing rooms and kiosks to the side. Pool and buildings constructed from concrete.
A remarkably fine, little-altered and early example of an outdoor Art Deco swimming pool. It is one of only 3 known surviving sea-side outdoor swimming pool complexes in Scotland, and certainly the one that best retains its original appearance. The other examples are Stonehaven (1934, listed at category B), which was never tidal, and Gourock, which has been greatly altered and is no longer tidal. Simple tidal pools, such as those at St Andrews and Pittenweem are not included in this category.
The architect of Tarlair pool was John C Miller, the Burgh Surveyor for Macduff. The building of the pool was agreed by the Burgh Council in 1929, and the pool was opened in the summer of 1931. The contractor for the pool was Robert Morrison & Son of Macduff.
Outdoor swimming pools were very popular as social meeting places during the 1930s and a relatively large number of them were built in Scotland, especially at sea-side holiday locations. Built between 1930 and 1931, the pool at Tarlair is one of earliest examples of this sort of swimming pool. The biggest and most impressive pools were at Portobello (1936) and Dunbar (1920s), the latter incorporating not only a swimming pool, boating pool and paddling pool, but also a ballroom in its main pavilion. Other notable pools were located at Arbroath, North Berwick, and Prestwick. These have unfortunately all been demolished (or largely so).
Although the buildings at Tarlair are relatively modest, the pool itself is impressive with the generous curved sides of the boating pool, and swimming pool beyond. The inclusion of a boating pool is particularly unusual; the only other known example was at Dunbar. It also seems to have been relatively unusual for a pool of this scale and level of stylishness to have been tidal. At high tide all parts of the pool are engulfed by the sea. The arrangement of the swimming pool situated to the sea-side the boating pool is practical, as it is obviously more hygienically desirable for the swimming pool to be fully replenished by the sea than the boating pool. Tarlair pool is set in a spectacular location in a rocky bay to the East of Macduff, to which the design of the pool responds well. The pool has been disused since 1995.
A small number of alterations and additions have taken place since it was built (most notably to the paddling pool, and the addition to the tea pavilion), but these alterations are of a superficial nature and its appearance has changed very little since it was photographed in 1935. Its state of intactness, simple yet stylish design, early date and magnificent location all contribute to make this pool the outstanding surviving example of its type in Scotland (Historic Scotland)
