16/06/2026
Two women, who didn’t know each other, discovered their grans had worked in Plean House around the same time - 100 years ago.
The discovery was made as part of our research into the history Plean House and Stables and features in a travelling exhibition of libraries in the Stirling area.
Alan Marshall, who leads the History Team for Plean House and Stables said: “It was a lovely discovery to make and we were able to bring the two ladies together to meet and talk about their grans and what they did.”
Tanya Gardiner, originally from Plean and who now lives in France, met with Elaine Bell in Plean Country Park in front of the ruined house where their grans used to work.
Tanya’s gran, Mary Scott worked in the house as a cook, while Elaine’s gran Mary Inglis worked as a scullery maid.
The two Marys worked for Wallace Thorneycroft and his family. He was the owner of Plean Colliery and lived in Plean House from 1897 until he moved away 1929 but his son Thomas lived in the house until he died in 1970. After that the house and estate transferred to the National Coal Board and then eventually to Stirling Council when it was turned into a country park in the 1980s.
Mary Scott worked in the house as a cook in the kitchen and when she got married she gave up work. When the Thorneycrofts went north during the summer months and shooting season, she was called on to go with them and cook for them there.
Mary Inglis was a teenager when she began working as a scullery maid in the kitchen at “the big house”. During the summer months, she helped load the cars that took the Thorneycroft family to the train station for their long journey south to Bournemouth for their holidays.
Their full stories are featured in the travelling exhibition at Fallin, Bannockburn, Cowie and Plean libraries.
If you have a relative who worked in Plean House or the associated stables, please email the team at [email protected]
The exhibition will be in the following libraries:
Fallin, Stirling Road , – 15 June – 7 July
Bannockburn, Greenacre Place, – 7 July – 31 July
Cowie, 18-20 Main Street – 31 July – 28 August
Plean, Main Street – 28 August – 2 October
