Golden retrievers were bred by aristocrat Sir Dudley Marjoribanks, who wanted a gun dog suited to Scottish Highland terrain.
The first litter was born in 1868 to a Tweed water spaniel, a breed now extinct, and yellow wavy-coated retriever.
The puppies were called Primrose, Cowslip and Crocus. Some histories of the breed report the litter having four pups.
More than 40 years later in 1913, the golden retriever was officially recognised as a breed by The Kennel Club, the UK’s largest organisation concerned with dog health, welfare and training.
Guisachan House had fallen into ruin by the 1960s.
