Old Travel Blog Photograph Public School Blairgowrie Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of children outside the school at top of John Street by the church in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, Scotland. The Parish Church was erected in 1821, the foundation stone being laid by Mr William M’Pherson of Blairgowrie on the site of the old Church, which had become much too small for the accommodation of the rapidly-increasing population. Blairgowrie was made a barony in favour of George Drummond of Blair in 1634 by a royal charter of Charles I, and became a free burgh in 1809. In 1724 the military road from Coupar Angus to Fort George which passes through the town on the line of the A923 and A93 was completed. The town expanded hugely in the 19th century thanks to the employment provided by the many textile mills which were built along the River Ericht, all now closed.



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Old Travel Blog Photograph Road Through Crianlarich Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of houses by the road through Crianlarich, Scotland. Crianlarich has been a major crossroads for north and west bound journeys in the Highlands of Scotland since mediaeval times. In the 1750s, two military roads met in the village; in the 19th century, it became a railway junction on what is now the West Highland Line; in the 20th century it became the meeting point of the major A82 and A85 roads. As such, it is designated a primary destination in Scotland, signposted from as far as Glasgow and Paisley in the south, Perth, Perthshire, in the east, Oban in the west and Fort William in the north.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Old Travel Blog Photograph Bowling Green Hopeman Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of men playing Bowls on the Bowling Green in Hopeman, a village on the Moray Firth coast of Scotland. The village was founded at the beginning of the nineteenth century as a fishing port by William Young of Inverugie. It expanded when the new harbour was built in 1838 for the export of stone from the nearby quarries. Hopeman has two large sandy beaches split by the man-made harbour. The West Beach is the smaller. The East Beach is surrounded by large, grassy sand dunes. BBC presenter Fiona Bruce traced her family back to the Bruces of Hopeman during an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? in February 2009. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day. Scottish bowlers developed the present flat green game, established rules, worked out a uniform code of laws, and were instrumental in saving the game for posterity. The ancient game of bowls has always been dear to the heart of every true Scot, and it has always held a prominent place in the history and literature of Scotland. To the Scots goes the credit also for giving the game an international background, as emigrant Scots enthusiastically carried the game with them to all parts of the world. Today there are more than 200 public bowling greens in the City of Glasgow alone.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Old Travel Blog Photograph Post Office Conon Bridge Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of the Post Office, cottages and people in Conon Bridge near Dingwall, Scotland. Conon Bridge was effectively founded after the construction of a bridge across the River Conon in 1809 by Thomas Telford in his role with the Commission for roads and bridges in the Highlands. Many of the present day residents of Conon Bridge work in Inverness, some 13 miles South of the village across the Kessock Bridge while some of the others work in Dingwall.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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Old Travel Blog Photograph Belmont Terrace Kirkintilloch Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of a church, buildings and people on Belmont Terrace in Kirkintilloch, Scotland. A town and former royal burgh in East Dunbartonshire. It is located on the Forth and Clyde Canal, about 8 miles north east of central Glasgow. Following the Scottish victory in the wars of independence and the subsequent decline of Clan Cumming, the baronies of Kirkintilloch, Lenzie, and Cumbernauld were granted by Robert The Bruce to Sir Malcolm Fleming, Sheriff of Dumbarton and a supporter of the Bruce faction in the war. Hitherto part of Stirlingshire, the area subsequently became a detached part of the county of Dumbarton, in which it remains today. On 3 January 1746, the retreating Jacobite army of Bonnie Prince Charlie made its way through Kirkintilloch, on its way back from Derby, England, and on the march to Falkirk and ultimately Culloden. The town was one of the hotbeds of the Industrial Revolution in Scotland, beginning with the emergence of a booming textile industry in the area. There were 185 weavers in Kirkintilloch by 1790, and in 1867 James Slimon's cotton mill at Kelvinside employed 200 women. With the construction of the Forth and Clyde Canal through the town in 1773, and the establishment of the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway in 1826, Kirkintilloch developed further as an important transportation hub, inland port and production centre for iron, coal, nickel and even small ships. Of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to visit one day.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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