Dunoon Goes POP story sharing

Do you remember drinking red cola that was made in Dunoon? Is the smell of lemons on Ferry Brae a fond memory? 

Did someone from your family work in Dunn’s soft drinks factory, which is tucked behind Right Medicine pharmacy just off the high street? 

Maybe you have a George Stirling bottle and want to know more about it?

If you are intrigued by Dunoon’s history of soft drink making or have a connection to the factory, come along to our story-sharing session at Dunoon Library, The Queen's Hall. 

An enterprising history

In the 1880s, the enterprising Stirling family set up George Stirling’s Aerated Waters. The soft drinks factory was located behind the family’s pharmacy shop, just off Dunoon’s high street. The factory, which survived World War II, later became part of the Glasgow-based Dunn family’s food and drink manufacturing business. The factory produced high-quality carbonated drinks for locals and visitors to enjoy from the same building until the mid-1970s.

Have you heard stories about it and want to know more?

What to expect

Come along to our Dunoon Goes POP story-sharing event at Dunoon Library and explore this fascinating history.

• Hear stories about the people involved in setting up the factory.
• Share your memories of the factory and drinking pop in Dunoon.
• Learn about this area’s connection to sugar, a core ingredient in soft drinks.
• Have a look at old George Stirling refill bottles and artifacts associated with the factory.
• Taste and smell some of the ingredients that we’re using in our Dunoon Goes POP recipes.
• Learn about how to use the library to conduct further research with the help of library supervisor Caroline Davidson and contribute to the creation of a mini exhibition at the Library about this heritage.

Become a Dunoon Goes POP heritage storyfinder

Our research is ongoing, and we’d love for more local people to share their stories or get involved with the research. If you enjoy finding heritage stories or have stories to share, please do get in touch.

What is Dunoon Goes POP?

Dunoon Goes POP is a heritage-inspired soft drinks enterprise based at the POP shop in Dunoon. We want to bring soft drinks production back to Dunoon in a way that minimises our impact on the planet and maximises our positive impact on the community.

We’ll do this by connecting people to the fascinating heritage of soft drinks-making through practical workshops, growing ingredients and gathering local heritage stories. All workshops are free and everyone is welcome.

Thanks to National Lottery players, we have funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to help us work towards a socially enterprising approach to local soft drinks production. This project also supports the 150 years of Dunoon Burgh Hall celebration.

Thanks to the Live Argyll Dunoon Library team for helping us to host this event.

This project is also supported by Dunoon Community Development Trust and Grow Food, Grow Dunoon.

Illustrations by POP shop member Walter Newton.