In fact, it was during the curling season that I got my nickname, The Laird. Laird is a Scottish word meaning master or lord of the manor. One day Angus Gray saw me walking down to the curling rink and surveying my property. I suppose I had a proud look on my face. “Aye lads,” Gray called, “here comes the Laird of Fintry.” Well, I liked to think I had created at Fintry an estate that was the equal of any in the old country. I liked being called The Laird, and the name stuck. Indeed, I even had a $5,000 shipment of scotch whiskey sent over with special labels on the bottles that read “Laird of Fintry.”

The Trophy Room

Hunting for sport has always been a favourite pastime for me. In 1924, I decided to have a trophy room added to the manor house. Unfortunately, the house caught on fire before the trophy room was finished. Some paintings and furniture were saved. And best of all, a secret room in the cellar I had filled with whiskey and wine was not damaged. I had the house rebuilt right away. The trophy room had a special wall made to look like a mountain slope with rocks, moss and a waterfall. This is where I put the grizzly that I bagged during a hunting trip in Alaska. I lined the walls with the heads of elk, mountain goat, buffalo, timber wolf, and deer to remind me of my adventures. I even had thick green carpet put on the floor to add to the natural look. The carpet cost me $1,000, which was big money in those days.