Bowling In Scotland

by Dave Williams

As my adventure to discover the origin of a bowling lane in a Scotland castle known as Fyvie continues, I’ve called upon a bowling historian and a veteran union worker to help determine the answer. Together we are zeroing in on what we believe could be the solution, although at this time still not verified.

Fyvie Castle is an imposing 800 year old fortress. According to the National Trust for Scotland website, “The magnificent castle in the heart of Aberdeenshire is a sterling example of Scottish Baronial architecture. Ghosts, legends and folklore are all woven into Fyvie’s history.”

The castle has an indoor bowling “alley” as part of a games area. Princess Margaret, who was known for her glamour and beauty, as well as her love for nightlife and the arts, is said to have enjoyed using the lane at Fyvie in the 1990’s. Other notables to frequent the castle in earlier times included William the Lion Hearted (King of Scots from 1165 to 1214), Robert the Bruce (King of Scots from 1274 to 1329) and Charles I, King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1625 to 1649.

When I contacted J.R. Schmidt, historian and writer of the Yesteryear column for Bowlers Journal International, he was able to locate pages from a Spalding annual catalogue that outline the construction of a bowling lane from the early 1900’s. The first page outlines the dimensions of the lane, including the width and length of the lane, the approach, the gutters, the pin pit and cushions. The same measurements are all in effect today.

Pages 2-4 outline “How to Build an Alley.” It’s a bit hard to read so I will provide some of the more interesting details below:

An ordinary carpenter can no more build a perfect bowling alley than a blacksmith can manipulate a typewriter. It requires skill, a perfect eye, an excellent judge of wood, and at least two years experience before a man can be rated as a first class alley builder.
The steel and slate alleys, which were introduced in the east some time in the early 1800’s, are no longer to be seen anywhere. Both have proven a failure from the very start because they were too noisy or deprived the wooden pin of elasticity.
There are a few alleys still in use that are constructed of cherry, birch and poplar woods, but these are becoming rare. The most popular alley now in use is the one constructed of pine and maple, either in one solid bed, firmly fastened to the foundation or floor, or in sections.
In order to get a perfect alley bed it is necessary to secure lumber, either pine or maple, that has been thoroughly air dried. This can best be secured by the larger concerns, who are now making a specialty of this business.
The most suitable size is material that will measure one by three inches, or one and 1/8th inches by 3 and 1/4th inches, set on edge, and should have a tongue on one side and groove on the other. Each strip should be nailed, and then either belted through the center or clamped at the bottom. The lane should never be less than forty-one and 1/2 inches in width.
The alley beds, whether sectional or solid, maple or pine and maple, should at all times be at least 72 feet in length, as the foul line is placed in the alley bed 60 feet from the center of the head pin, or 63 feet 3 inches from the pit end of the alley bed.
The pits should be three feet 6 inches in length, five feet wide and about eleven inches deep, so that when covered with a mat at the bottom, they will be regulation. There is little chance of the ball rebounding onto the alley, but the pins can be brought back occasionally so that there is a chance to make the so-called impossible split.
In a pine and maple lane, the pine should be interlocked or dove-tailed into the maple at the eleven foot mark, and allowed to continue downward until within about four feet from the pit end of the alley bed where maple should again be used.
The gutters should be made to measure about 8 3/4 inches in width and be of regulation depth.

The outline goes on to explain the importance of guarding against moisture or dampness of any kind. I can vouch for the fact that when this was not done, a lane could tend to warp or spread more rapidly. This scenario occurred during the late 50’s and early 60’s when so many lanes were being installed too rapidly, without even allowing for the ground to settle. Another interesting observation from my international travels was the use of eucalyptus wood in Australia, which tended to be much harder than the maple and pine installations, and also turned a much darker color with extended use.

Let’s Ask Some Union Workers

My friend Bruce Bakos, a 44 year union veteran while working for Exxon Mobil in Linden, N.J., had a couple of keen observations. We have all been fascinated by the plate that appears at the end of the lane in Scotland: Amalgamated Wood Workers International Union of America. Bruce feels that this confirms the fact that the lane had to be constructed in the USA.

Otherwise, the measurements in the Spalding guide would have been in metrics, as well as in feet and inches. Bruce’s contention is that the lane was constructed here and then shipped to Scotland, either in whole, or perhaps in smaller sections, as described in bullet points number 3 and 6 above.

J.R. “Jake” Schmidt states the following: “I have been a lifetime union member, and come from a union family, but we have never seen this wood workers logo or marking.” Jake is of the opinion that the construction of the lane could have been carried out in Scotland with the use of the Spalding Bowling Guide of 1903, containing the detailed instructions on “How to Build an Alley.”

As I continued searching the internet for clues, I found this interesting entry regarding the Amalgamated Wood Workers International Union, or AWWIU, at thefreelibrary.com: “AWWIU (1895-1912) was the first national wood workers organization in the United States. At its peak in 1904, there were 31,230 members. Thirty percent of the membership worked in Chicago, with a sizable number employed at Brunswick, Balke and Collander Company, a world famous manufacturer of billiard tables, bowling lanes and high-class bar room fixtures.”

Another entry from richlandcountyhistory.com in Mansfield, Ohio, provides the following: “AMF produced nearly everything in a bowling center, except the bowling lanes. The ball racks, seats, ball returns, desks and magic triangle machines were all manufactured at AMF’s plant in Shelby, Ohio.” (AMF’s famous bowling pins were always manufactured in Lowville, N.Y., at a plant that remains in operation today).

Unfortunately, all of my sources at AMF, and those of Barb Spigner at Brunswick, have retired. But it would certainly appear that the lane was either constructed by Brunswick in Chicago, or assembled in Scotland utilizing the Spalding guide from 1903. Converting inches (25.4 mm) and feet (30.48 cm) would be a bit tedious, so I’m leaning toward the manufacturing of the lane in Chicago. To be continued…

Photos provided by the Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame