Inside ‘magical’ Deeside shoemaker’s shop untouched for decades as we meet the team saving it from ruin

Anne Marquiss still remembers when her parents would take her on road trips from Aberdeen to Deeside, passing by an “intriguing little anonymous building” at Ballogie which always seemed to catch her eye…

Little Anne had no idea about the history inside those wooden walls.

But decades later she is playing a crucial part in helping to save the last standing shoemaking shop in Scotland.

This is about more than just one building though.

Her grandad was even a shoemaker, and Anne tells us how this step back in time is rekindling memories of her beloved relative.

But Anne is just one of dozens of dedicated volunteers who are rolling up their sleeves and giving up their time to ensure that Ballogie’s beloved Souter’s Shop can be preserved for generations to come.

We joined some of the volunteers helping to make the unique shoe shop’s survival possible.

As they embark on this major restoration venture we learned…

• Why they got involved with the project
• What the future plans are for the “last of its kind” shoemaker’s hut
• And we discovered what well-known shoe brand was worn by Deeside Villagers back in the day

What is the Souter’s Shop and why is it so special?

The shop, which opened in 1887, was previously owned by James Merchant. His son James also worked with him.

A shoemaker, or cobbler, was known in parts of Scotland as the souter.

A shoemaker was an essential person for rural communities, repairing and making shoes for generations of villagers, with many relying on just one pair as that would be all they could afford.

But the Ballogie Souter’s Shop became “stuck in time” after it closed in the early 1940s, following Mr Merchant’s death.

And for over half a century, his tools, materials and stock lay untouched.

However, fears recently began to grow for the deteriorating state of the grade-A listed building and the unique artefacts inside.

It is now owned by the Birse Community Trust (BCT), a charity that “promotes the common good of the inhabitants of Birse Parish”.

And BCT is now working hard to ensure the survival of this little landmark a few miles from Aboyne.

Operation Save the Souter’s Shop is officially under way.

The process starts with meticulously tracking, packing, moving and storing all of the items in the shop, which need to be out by February, enabling essential repairs to the building to be carried out.

And with some of the wooden items under attack by woodworm, these will need to be frozen in order to stop any infestation and preserve them.

‘It feels like the shoemaker is still sat there, and has been working an hour ago’

We joined some of the volunteers who are receiving training from AOC Archaeology specialists. 

Over the course of the project, they will be taught basic conservation and preservation techniques to help maintain the artefacts.

And the goal is for volunteers to learn transferrable skills that can be passed on to help continue caring for the precious collection of items.

Most of the group are meeting for the first time, as they share their own stories and connections to the Souter’s Shop.

Alison Kerlogue, who has lived in Finzean for 13 years, became involved in the Save the Souter’s Shop project to help keep the tradition of shoemaking alive.

She tells the group about her uncle who had a farm in Devon and remembers the pair of boots he had for 50 years. Every year they would be re-soled and re-heeled.

Alison smiles: “When you can see the shoes and you can see the boots, you can tell people about them…

“But to actually feel it and have the boxes, it’s quite magical.”

And Alison vividly recounts the first time she stepped foot inside the Souter’s Shop, which gives a glimpse into life in the early 1900’s.

“There’s this amazing pile of bits of leather next to a work bench and it’s so evocative because it just feels that the shoemaker is still sat there and has been working an hour ago.

“To me that was the biggest impact… That human element, the fact that that was  evidence of work, I really found that quite moving actually.”

‘I’ve known Ballogie Souter’s Shop all my life’

Volunteer Anne Marquiss, who is from Aberdeen but lives in Midmar, says she was “gobsmacked” when she first stepped foot inside the Souter’s Shop.

Anne tells me that her grandad grew up in Maud and had his own shoemaker’s shop, which has now been transformed into a gift shop.

“I remember being there as a wee one, I remember the vibe, the tongue and groove pine panelling, so going into the Souter’s Shop here was a real kind of step back in time,” she smiles.

“It’s a real privilege to experience it actually.”

And as she recalls her childhood road trips out to Deeside passing by the Souter’s Shop, Anne shares with the other volunteers that she feels as if she has known it all her life.

‘Souter’s shop is such a time capsule’

I grab a quick chat some more of the volunteers who have just returned from the shoemaker’s workshop to find out how their morning moving, storing and packing the artefacts has gone.

Indie Janes lives near the shop in Ballogie and is giving up her time to volunteer.

The 17-year-old tells me: “I’m really interested in archaeology and history and all of that kind of stuff. So this being so close to where I live is pretty cool.”

And she adds that she is in the process of applying to study archaeology at uni, with this volunteering oppourtunity being a great experience for her.

‘It’s tough conditions but rewarding work’

Volunteer Norma Hunter, from Inverurie, tells me that she “wanted to be a part of the project”, describing the Souter’s Shop as “such a time capsule”.

She explains that the training they received in the morning was “intensive” and at first the process seemed “a wee bit daunting”.

Having just returned from working down at the shop, Norma says that some of the challenges they face are the lack of light and the cold, due to there being no electricity.

And volunteers will continue to battle the tricky conditions over the winter months.

“You’re bagging, you’re wrapping, it’s all quite delicate,” she continues.

But, with a beaming smile on her face she says the rewarding part has been “realising we could do it”.

The volunteers explain that the shop is brimming with all sorts of curiosities, with boxes filled of surprises including old shoe polish that would have been used by the souter.

And 76-year-old Sheila Duthie makes sure to tell me to keep an eye out for the old Converse boxes down at the workshop, a fun discovery that a well-known brand today was worn by Deeside villagers back then.

‘On its own it’s a shoemaker’s but it’s what it sparks…’

Toni Watt, manager at BCT, is grateful to the volunteers, both local and from across Aberdeenshire, who are giving up their time to help save the rare former shoe shop and workshop.

She tells me: “It’s really driven by volunteers, partly to keep costs down, because if we get conservators in to do all the work it would be astronomical.

“But also it’s that local involvement. The Souter’s Shop is special, it’s unique and it’s in Ballogie,” Toni smiles.

“It’s really important for the people of Birse that we look after it with people from Birse.

“Some of the group have got connections to local shoemakers, which is another fascinating part of the story.”

The project to restore the Souter’s Shop has received donations from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic Environment Scotland, as well as a number of other funders.

‘We want to hear more people’s stories and keep them alive before they disappear’

Looking to the future, Toni tells me that a variety of workshops are going to be held for members of the public, giving a glimpse into the history of the Souter’s Shop.

This includes a workshop on how to make bee skeps as the shoemaker Mr Merchant kept bees to sell honey to make some extra pennies.

And part of the funding will be for digital interpretation, creating an online space to allow people from around the world to connect with Ballogie’s hidden treasure.

And Toni is urging people to keep sharing their memories and connections to shoemakers.

“I’d love more people to come forward with stories because at the moment we have visitors like Anne, they say ‘oh my grandad was a souter’, but a couple more generations and that will have gone,” she explains.

“So we really want to just get little snippets of oral history while we can, so if anyone wants to contact us they’re very welcome, because it’s just disappearing.

“On its own it’s a shoemaker’s, but it’s what it sparks, what it brings to life. It’s the stories.”

You can find out more about the work of Birse Community Trust and donate to Save the Souter’s Shop’ at https://www.birsecommunitytrust.org.uk/heritage-sites/soutars-shop/.

[Source: Press and Journal]