PerthshireCrieffStrathearn Local History

    Crossing Dalginross Bridge     Hogmanay -  Seekin' Their Cakes In Fife    Burning The Clavie At Burghead     Hogmanay ( New Years Eve ) is an old and much celebrated occasion   throughout Scotland . The word itself however   is something of a mystery . Amongst the theories regarding its origins is that it is from the word “ Hagmena “ – a corrupted Greek word   meaning “ holy month “ . Another “ learned “ school of thought   implies that the   word is   of French origin and   was   brought over with the Normans in 1066 !This latter line is   based on the   old Norman word “ Haguillennes “ . To add to the   general confusion a third source promotes the theory that the Hogmanay source lies in the   ancient Norse festivals that was celebrated at Yule time . The night   before it started   was called “ hoggin – nat “ or   “ hogenat “ which   meant the slaughter night when the cattle   were   killed to allow    the prepararation   of   food   on

  OS Map showing the area of Glen Beich in this "blog"   Loch Earn from Glen Beich    I recall about ten years ago being asked   by a lady from Ontario   in Canada to look into her Scottish roots and in particular those of her ancestors   who had   come   from Glen Beich near Lochearnhead . At that time I was totally   ignorant   of the significance   of this , one of the most beautiful and unheralded   parts of the Strath . Apparently   her family   had   been small crofters in a n area of the Glen on an   elevated part above the settlement of Ardveich . Ardveich which in Gaelic is Ard-Bheathaich or “ height of the birch woods ” lies   less than half a mile from the shores of Loch Earn on the east side of the Beich Burn . On the west side was another small settlement known as Dalveich- Dal-Bheathaich- “ the field of the birch woods ” . It is   clear that this area had been   inhabited   for countless generations back into the mists of time . A castle ha

  The top of Church Street was known as the " Shambles "    There is   an incredibly detailed   map of Crieff   drawn up in 1822 by John Wood . Wood was a Scottish surveyor resident in Edinburgh . Between 1818 to 1830 he engraved 52 plans of Scottish towns, of which 48 were published in Atlas form in 1828. He also surveyed numerous Northumberland and Durham towns during the period 1826 and 1827. Fortunately his   work   has been   preserved    by the National Library of Scotland in digital form on the internet : ( http://maps.nls.uk/towns/detail.cfm?id=321 ) By clicking on the image   you can increase or decrease the size   making it   so easy   to take   a town tour of Crieff as it was nearly two centuries   ago ! For the   genealogist / family historian with   roots in the town there is an added   bonus   in that the houses are clearly delineated   with the owner or   occupier’s   name shown . Indeed in some cases the   occupations are also listed !