On 8 August 1825, William Grierson sailed across the Atlantic aboard the ship Symmetry as part of the first organised migration to Argentinafrom Leith, Edinburgh. Two and a half months and 7,000 miles later, he and more than 200 compatriots docked in Buenos Aires with the hopes of laying the foundations of a pioneering Argentine colony of Scottish farmers. The intervening years were fraught with immense challenges, but today nearly two centuries later, the Begg family have not been dissuaded from farming. In the central province of Córdoba amidst the rolling hills of the Sierras Chicas, lies Estancia Los Potreros, run by the direct descendants of William Grierson.

The Begg family first settled in the Córdoba region in the early part of the 20th century. Robin Glassford Begg and his wife Louie regularly came to holiday at Potrero de Loza, which was owned by the Keene family. They used to stay in the Muñecas cottage (or Dollshouse), which was built for them beside the main house. The Beggs later lived at Los Melados, which they rented from Guy Keene, and eventually built their own house on the land that they purchased, Potrero de Niz.

After Robin’s death in 1949, Louie began taking paying guests. They usually stayed for around a month or two. Before long Louie introduced the practice of keeping a guestbook, a tradition that is still maintained today. Over the years people have shared their lyrical memories of their time on the estancia, which has been described as ‘heaven among the hill tops’. Louie lived to see three centuries, passing away at the impressive age of 104. She and had three children Jean, Margaret and Robert.