About Us
Your Host
Mrs Jaqueline Cowan (Mrs C)
After a varied career in the hospitality industry which included tenure at establishments like the Hamilton Princess in Bermuda, the Prince of Wales in Waterton, Yoho Lodge and the Lake Agnes Tea House, Mrs Cowan's Mum, Lita Hamilton, finally settled in Banff in 1964 and bought Tan-Y-Bryn.
The family soon followed and Mrs C took over running of the business in 1974.
Mrs C has led her own exciting life, including a peripatetic existence in Great Britain during WWII, and living on her own in Toronto at a tender age. She and the family finally found home here in Banff where five generations have been privileged to live for over 50 years. Banff has changed a great deal during that time, but we all still love it.
Mrs C shares running of the business with her eldest daughter, Robin.
History of the House
The first lease on our lot was issued in February 1904. During that time, 11 people have held the lease, the two lessees of our family for over 50 years.
In the spring of 1926 Mrs Minnie Davies, the lessee at the time, purchased a Bankhead house and moved it to this location. The main floor was extended at the time it was moved. In about 1930 Mrs Davies added a further extension to the upstairs making it a full two storey house. The single storey addition at the back was built in the latter part of 1972 for private use by the family.
We know that the house has been called Tan-Y-Bryn since 1930 as the name is embedded into the stucco on both the front (west) and south walls. We believe that Mrs Davies named the house in 1926 when she opened it as a “Tourist Home”. It has been in continual use, first as a tourist home and later as a bed and breakfast (1976) ever since.
The name, Tan-Y-Bryn, is Welsh (as was Mrs Davies) and literally translates as “under the hill” or “beneath the brow of the hill”. As the house is situated on the lower slopes of Tunnel (Sacred Buffalo) Mountain it is aptly named.
Tan-Y-Bryn is a recognized heritage site and will soon be marked as such with one the town's blue plaques. If you are interested in heritage buildings, see the Banff Heritage Corporation Heritage Finder website.
Favourite things
Our family loves living in this beautiful place and we thought we'd share some of our favourite things around town,
RESTAURANTS
HIKES/WALKS
- Surprise Corner to the Hoodoos
- Fenland Trail
- Spray Lakes East, West or the Circuit
- Bow River Path (both sides of the river)
- Sundance Canyon
- Lower and Upper Bankhead