Dornoch Historylinks Image Library

This is a fascinating photo. I am researching Rolland's life and exploits, but didn't realise he had travelled to Dornoch. Are you sure about the year - 1890? Is there any facility to buy a copy of this photo? In any case as a member of RDGC I will come into see this the next time I am up. Best Regards, Iain

Many thanks for your comment. We are not sure about the year, it was an educated guess and so it could be earlier or later - Administrator

This photograph is reproduced in Donald Grant's pamphlet, "Donald Ross of Pinehurst and Royal Dornoch", and the caption above is lifted straight from the caption in that pamphlet. I assume that Grant's pamphlet is still for sale in the Historylinks shop - I bought it there earlier this year.

Mr Crawford may have been misled by the ambiguous sentence structure in the caption: it was the great J H Taylor, not Douglas Rolland, who was "a special friend of Dornoch" and Grant gives no indication that Rolland ever visited Dornoch. Grant's pamphlet states that Rolland played a special challenge match against Taylor in 1894, and it seems quite plausible to suggest that the photograph was taken at the time of that match.

Having looked carefully at the photo, I think its clear that it is not taken at Dornoch. As the 1894 Open Championship was played for the first time outside Scotland - at Sandwich. JH Taylor won and Douglas Rolland was second. I would suggest that this photo was either taken there or at nearby Rye, where Rolland was the professional. Best Regards, Iain

Many thanks for your additional comment following our ponderings on the photo, taken with the above comment it seems very likely that the date is 1894 and the location either Sandwich or Rye - Administrator (Sue)

This is my Great Great Uncle, my father is Douglas Rolland of St Andrews (still playing at nearly 80 years old, son of a Club Maker of Auchterlonies (also Douglas) I have been looking into family tree.

Joanne, thank you for your comment. I have been trying to piece together what seems like the fascinating story of Douglas Tolland. Would you mind if I contacted you and maybe your father, the next time I am up in St Andrews?
Thanks and Regards, Iain

I am the Great Grandson of Douglas Rolland and have quite a bit of history about him and a few items passed down through the family supposed to belong to him. I live just outside Cupar in Fife and would like to contact anyone interested.

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