Wee Spud - West Kilbride's Tattie Fest

Wee Spud - West Kilbride's Tattie Fest Wee Spud, founded in 2023, is a festival of food & drink, craft, film & storytelling.

04/02/2026

Donald McKelvie OBE grew and bred over 30 new varieties of potato between 1907 and 1947. The farms in around Lamlash had very fertile soil and were extremely productive. Today, Arran Banner, Arran Pilot & Arran Victory potatoes are eaten all over the world.

❤️🥔❤️🥔❤️🥔❤️🥔❤️🥔❤️🥔❤️
22/05/2025

❤️🥔❤️🥔❤️🥔❤️🥔❤️🥔❤️🥔❤️

20/05/2025

So excited guess what.....Portencross, Ayrshire Tatties are back...whoo hoo...only £6 per kilo bag they are absolutely deeeelllliiishhh....☺️🤤🐠❤️

20/05/2025
🥔 The Tattie Man 🥔
25/02/2025

🥔 The Tattie Man 🥔

The "Tattie Man"!

Born on the 24th of February, 1867 at Lamlash on the Isle of Arran, Donald McKelvie went on to become a renowned potato breeder.

His father was Neil McKelvie, a sea captain and his mother was Mary McNeish. Donald trained as an accountant in Glasgow but returned to Arran in 1894 to run the family business: D McNeish & Son.

Whilst living in Claveron, Lamlash in 1907, Donald became interested in horticulture. He built greenhouses and started to raise and select thousands of seedlings. His “tattie fields” were where the High School sits now. His crop included “Arran Pilot”, “Arran Banner”, “Arran Victory”, “Arran Chief” and “Arran Cairn”, some of which were Lord Derby gold medal winners. He also raised potatoes which were immune to wart disease which was a serious issue in the early 1900s.

In January 1943 Donald received an OBE “for services in the breeding of new potato types” and is mentioned in the London Gazette.

There is an exhibition in his honour in the Arran Heritage Museum in Brodick and McKelvie Road in Lamlash is named after him. There is also a “Blue Plaque” dedicated to him on the wall of the Co-op in Lamlash. It should also be mentioned that he was a renowned breeder of Highland Ponies too.

Donald died at home in Lamlash in March 1947 aged 80 years old.

As today is day, here is a question for you: Donald's potato breeding resulted in the creation of the famous Maris Piper. But can you tell us which one of his potatoes helped create it?

A) Arran Chief

B) Arran Pilot

C) Arran Cairn

Let us know in the comments below!

🥔 Growing your own this year?Here’s your opportunity to support a local business 🥔
01/02/2025

🥔 Growing your own this year?
Here’s your opportunity to support a local business 🥔

🥔  No farmers = no food 🥔
27/01/2025

🥔 No farmers = no food 🥔


Disappoint Satan by writing ✍ ‘I love Jesus’.
🌈God says: “Those who love God are those who love the truth, and the more those who love the truth put it into practice, the more of it they have; the more they put it into practice, the more of God’s love they have; and the more they put it into practice, the more blessed they are by God. If you always practice in this way, God’s love for you will gradually enable you to see, just as Peter came to know God: Peter said that God not only has the wisdom to create the heavens and earth and all things, but, moreover, that He also has the wisdom to do practical work in people. Peter said that He is not only worthy of people’s love because of His creation of the heavens and earth and all things, but, moreover, because of His ability to create man, to save man, to make man perfect, and to bequeath His love to man. So, too, did Peter say that there is much in Him that is worthy of man’s love. Peter said to Jesus: ‘Is creating the heavens and earth and all things the only reason You deserve people’s love? There is more in You that is lovable. You act and move in real life, Your Spirit touches me inside, You discipline me, You reproach me—these things are even more worthy of people’s love.’ If you wish to see and experience God’s love, then you must explore and seek in real life and must be willing to put aside your own flesh. You must make this resolution. You must be someone with resolve who is able to satisfy God in all things, without being lazy or coveting the enjoyments of the flesh, not living for the flesh but living for God. There may be times when you do not satisfy God. That is because you do not understand God’s intentions; the next time, even though it will take more effort, you must satisfy Him and must not satisfy the flesh. When you experience in this way, you will have come to know God. You will see that God can create the heavens and earth and all things, that He has become flesh so that people can actually see Him and actually engage with Him; you will see that He is able to walk among man, and that His Spirit can make people perfect in real life, allowing them to see His loveliness and experience His discipline, His chastening, and His blessings. If you always experience in this way, in real life you will be inseparable from God, and if one day your relationship with God ceases to be normal, you will be able to suffer reproach and to feel remorse. When you have a normal relationship with God, you will never wish to leave God, and if one day God says He will leave you, you will be afraid, and will say that you would rather die than be left by God. As soon as you have these emotions, you will feel that you are incapable of leaving God, and in this way, you will have a foundation, and will truly enjoy God’s love.”

11/01/2025

As we start to move through 2025, the first of our annual events just round the corner. Yes Happy Tattie to you all, Potato Day is on Saturday 1st February. We will be selling the best seed potatoes and more. The Doon the Beach trailer will be there selling excellent coffee, tea and cakes. Check poster for details. All welcome.

If you’re in the local area …
13/04/2024

If you’re in the local area …

While stocks last.

👏 Amazing local history from over on Arran 👏
21/08/2023

👏 Amazing local history from over on Arran 👏

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West Kilbride
KA23

Telephone

+447710150794

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