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Dunblane
Dunblane maps
Historic maps of Dunblane and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Dunblane maps
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Memories of Dunblane
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Perthshire memories
The
The bridge from which this photograph was taken was a "humpitty-backed" stone bridge where a pair of arches spanned the river and a smaller arch crossed the "lade". The bridge was in service from about 1840 until the new bridge was constructed in about 1954. The strange outlook is caused by the semi-damming of the Allan Water to take off water for the "Kork'n'Seal" factory which used the water to drive its machinery. The water which did not roll over the edge was carried and concentrated along the "lade" (which I think means "lead") and finally into a canal which dropped into the factory. I learned to swim in the lade. Not only was it cold (brrrr!) but it flowed swiftly and was controlled by a pair of sluice gates which regulated the flow to the machinery of the factory some 500 yards away. The "lade-mans" cottage was immediately adjacent to the sluice gates and of course we were not allowed to swim there given how dangerous it was. Of... Read more
A Magnificent View - A Chosen One.
Sixty-four years after the photograph was taken, little had changed when my father Donald Macdonald a resident of Bridge of Allan was buried at the Logie Kirk graveyard just the Ochil's side of the Craig. My Dad was a bus driver for Alexander's and on the day of his burial the roads to Logie Kirk were jammed with single and double-decker buses from Alexanders as almost the entire staff of the Stirling depot attended to pay their respects. I was there in support of my mother and little brother Ian. I was in uniform as I was stationed at RAF Wattisham in Suffolk and had just spent the night in a train to get back to see him before he died. I failed. I saluted over his grave as he had been in the RAF during the war.
This view of Bridge of Allan is a poignant reminder to me of my father. My little brother Ian was born in sight of the Craig at Airthrey Castle on 20th... Read more
The Old Hydro Hotel.
In 1952 this beautiful hotel was owned by the Scottish Cooperative Wholesale Society (SCWS) and represented a weekend retreat for people who could afford it. I'm not very sure what that meant but that's how it was told to me by someone who knew. I remember it for another reason - during the winter of 54-55, I got the job of delivering the weekend morning milk for the local Coop. This involved rising at around 5 am on a usually freezing or snowing morning and travelling around hanging off the back of a "TROJAN" delivery van with up to a dozen bottles of milk in your hands and jumping off backwards when the van slowed at the appropriate corner. Even in those days I realised what a dangerous exercise this was yet, as far as I can recall, no one was ever injured! Two hours later and about 3 tons of milk lighter, we made our last delivery of the day - at the Hydro! We shunted loads of milk... Read more
Horse Riding on The Estate
I used to go to school with Jeanie Dundas whos family lived at Ochtertyre. Her father was one of 3 survivers of the Hood. Jeanie and I would ride her horse Pedro all around the estate and return to bed him down and feed him. You had to walk past all the mink to get the hay (her dad had the biggest mink farm in Europe), at 14 it was a bit scary as they made so much noise. Happy days and happy memories. Hazel Lockhart, nee Philip Bridge of Allan now in Melbourne Australia
The Saughs Ochtertyre
My Mother (know as Betty Scott in those days) who is now 91 lived at The Saughs (Saughs Cottage now) from 1923 to 1936 (ish) - probably aged 3 to 17. Mum was a foster child and went there to live with "Auntie" (Christine Hunter Mc Kay) who looked after foster children on the Ochtertyre Estate that was owned by Lt Colonel and Mrs Dundas. Lt Colonel Dundas was very fond of Mum and she used to visit the Colonel and his wife at Ochtertyre House where they had parties for the tenants and the children. She also talked about visits to Carrat Farm which was owned by Mr Young and possibly the Rattrays after that. Auntie had a small holding known as The Saughs, Ochtertyre Estate and Mum had a pet goat called "Billy" who used to follow her to school. She was visited there by Nancy and Jean Binnie and Robbie Campbell who was related I believe to Auntie McKay. She also talked of Kitty and Ruth and... Read more
My First And Lasting Impression of Stirling University
It was in the summer of 1975 when I first travelled up to Stirling from Oxford, to spend a gloriously happy and memorable Open University summer school week at Stirling University - studying mathematics. I was expecting a series of colleges, like Oxford and Cambridge, but was thrilled to see that the beautiful, albeit modern, campus was on one site, superbly landscaped, and overlooked by the Wallace Monument. Once off the road, one never had to leave this peaceful site for entertainment, food, drink or accomodation, and although the University had its full complement of 'summer-school' students, it was never difficult to find a quiet spot to sit and reflect if one so wanted. The accomodation was wonderful, each room was light and airy and had it's own bed, desk, and furniture. The refrectory was enormous and efficiently run, the food, freshly cooked and as good as any home cooking. Of course there were several snack bars and areas inside where people could sit in comfort with their fellow students. All in... Read more
Doune
I lived in Surrey but used to travel to Doune to visit Margaret & George Paterson who owned Watston Farm in Doune. Living in a city I loved going up to the farm for holidays and had my last visit to them in 1973 when I came over from Australia with my husband, son and daughter (where I moved to in 1963). I am visiting Scotland again in September 08 and look forward to revisiting Doune, Kippen and Stirling where I have happy memories of great holidays. Bette Schoots (nee Miller).
