Adam Craigmile and Blackburn’s Leys Hotel were one and the same.
The 86-year-old was born in his family-run hotel, pulled his last pint there on the eve of his death, and his funeral was held there too.
We look back on the life of the “easy-going and generous” hotelier whose venue once saw busloads of revellers visit each weekend, with just as many turning out to pay their last respects.
The Leys, for life
In 1933, unknowingly, both Alexander Craigmile and his son Charlie bid for the Leys hotel in Blackburn. Alexander stepped aside leaving Charlie and his wife Kate to take on the former staging post built in 1805.
On February 6 1937, son Adam Valentine Craigmile, the youngest of three boys, was born on the premises.
Starting life as a small three-bedroom coaching inn, surrounded by farm and fields, Adam and his brothers learned the value of hard work through hotel and farm chores. It would be hospitality, however, that was truly Adam’s lifeblood.
Growing up
Adam attended Blackburn School, and was goalkeeper for the local team, all the while working at the hotel until National Service came calling.
Posted to Cyprus with the Gordon Highlanders, he served as a truck driver. Though he had many fond memories of that time he was profoundly aware of how lucky he was to be able to come home and build the family business.
A convoy – which he was due to be part of – hit a landmine killing several of his comrades, and a fire all but destroyed his barracks. He was one of very few survivors.
After completion of service he returned home where hotel work – and socialising with friends – resumed. Ever the businessman, Adam would be designated driver charging 2s 6d for his taxi services to the dancing. It was on one such trip that he first set eyes on Christian Elizabeth Watt.
Adam fell in love with Betty – the name he called her by – and the couple married at St Andrew’s Church in Inverurie on the July 4 1959.
Craigie’s
Never returning to her job at Morgan’s Photographers, Betty joined Adam and his parents in running the hotel and farm. They went on to have three children, Keith, Kay and Carole.
Fatherhood, like business acumen, came easily to Adam who is credited with providing “a rich and happy childhood” for his family. Noted for his calm demeanour and problem-solving abilities he was able to embrace change and move with the times.
To that end, in 1966, he launched the Craigmile Disco, or Craigie’s as it was known. The new nightclub attracted people from Aberdeen and the Shire. Buses had to run to accommodate the growing number of people coming out to the go-to destination where some of the country’s best DJ talent, such as Carl Cox, performed.
For 50 years the Craigmile Disco ran as a successful business, only switching to a becoming a function suite in 2016.
Have a go
Always up for new challenges and experiences, Adam became renowned for his adventurous spirit. He took up skiing in his 50s, tackling some of Scotland’s fiercest slopes without ever having taken a lesson.
This have-a-go trait he was passed on to his children, and then his beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
It was perhaps this approach to life that saw Adam earn the nickname Robocop from friends and family. After five hip replacements, two spinal operations, broken ribs, and breaks to the knee, arm and fingers he embodied what it meant to work hard and play hard.
Community spirited
Adam was a well-known and respected part of the Blackburn community.
He was involved in the Licensed Trade Association and was a founder member of the Rotary Club. Through the year, with volunteers, he helped decorate the town with flowers, and at Christmas, was part of the group adding lights and putting up the Christmas Tree.
In a tribute from his family he is described as a man of “old fashioned values”, “committed to his community.”
They said: “He was steady as a rock; a strong dependable man and a good provider. His life was a lesson in loyalty, kindness and steadfastness. His generosity of spirit will never be forgotten. Dad never faltered in being true to himself and the standards he set.
“You know most people go through life never being seen, never being heard, and never laying a brick. But Adam was seen, was heard, and has laid the lifelong foundations for many lives in his significant contribution to friends, family and his community.”
Final farewell
Adam passed away on Sunday June 4.
He had been pulling pints in the bar the evening before. Aside from reporting a high temperature his death – likely as a result of a heart attack – was unexpected.
“His mum and dad had their funeral services at the Leys. He always said he came in head first and wanted to leave feet first. He has got his wish,” said daughter Kay.
He was proud to have still been at the helm, alongside Betty, his son Keith and daughter-in-law Yvonne, of one of the oldest family managed hotels in Scotland. And like his parents and grandparents before him, his funeral was held at the Leys.
Hundreds attended to pay their last respects.
You can read the family’s announcement here.
