John Burns Lord Inverclyde memorial stone

Image: © Thomas Nugent Taken: 20 Apr 2014

See the general location of the stone here Image Tucked away out of sight in a corner of the sea wall on Undercliffe Road. The text reads as follows... "Erected by the Gaiter Club in memory of their first president John Burns Lord Inverclyde". This extract from "Sir George Burns, Bart. His Times and Friends" by Edwin Hodder https://archive.org/stream/sirgeorgeburnsba00hodd/sirgeorgeburnsba00hodd_djvu.txt explains the origins of the Gaiter Club. "Men of mirth were those in whom Mr. Burns delighted, provided their mirth was not "Of the nature as to make one's fancy chuckle while his heart doth ache." A number of such men formed themselves into a society which was styled " The Gaiter Club " — their bond of union being walking tours in Scotland in gaiters, and an annual dinner at which humorous speeches were made and the doings of the members recorded. Of this Club Mr. John Burns was President, and Mr. J. Cleland Burns, Secretary ; Dr. Norman Macleod was the Chaplain ; and among the members were Sir Daniel Macnee, the painter, President of the Royal Scottish Academy, Laurence Oliphant, Anthony Trollope, John MacGregor, Hon. Evelyn Ashley". Other notable members included Lord Kelvin, Lord Palmerston and the Earl of Shaftesbury.

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