THIS week, Ross McGinn, from the Innerleithen Community Trust, tells us about the Buttercup Dairy Company...

The Buttercup Dairy Company opened its first store in Kirkcaldy in 1904.

Expanding at an average of 15 shops each year 250 outlets at the peak were soon achieved.

One of these shops was at 94 High Street, Innerleithen, there from 1923 till 1951. The Buttercup Dairy corporate image, was captured on ceramic tiles with the centrepiece depicting a fresh-faced little girl holding a buttercup under the chin of a cow.

Although many pass along Innerleithen High Street most miss the detail of this expertly crafted, almost complete display and this that can still be seen today. (Photo One) and (Photo Two).

A thriving sculpture studio business continues at the address and keeps the Buttercup name very much in public view.

Another retail dairy, Danish Dairy Company had a shop at 4 Waverley Road from 1922 till 1932. (Photo Three) This shop in its time has been a chemist, a draper, a grocers and at the end of the 19th century a baby linen shop.

Apart from the usual day to day dairy products of milk, cream, butter and cheese none can be more popular than ice cream, something for which Innerleithen has been well known far and wide for over 100 years.

Perhaps not so well known is that where the infamous ‘Gap Site’ was, 41 High Street, now filled by new modern housing, there also existed a purveyor of ice cream. (Photo Four).

This family business, started by Charles Fionda in 1930, also had at least one mobile shop van based here selling extensively around the area and at local events.

Another ice cream shop was at one time, located at 6 Waverley Road, 1905 to 1915, and owned and run by a member of the Benigno family from Peebles.

We are fortunate that many of our shop fronts have been altered little and retain their character into the 21st century and that so few are unoccupied in the difficult trading environment of today.