Thanks for looking !

Loch Turret above Crieff 11 February 2013 
 
 
Thanks to everyone who has over our first year logged into the Crieff and Strathearn Local History Blog . I have been surprised and delightede  to find the interest in the Strath has  extended all over the World or , as we say in Scotland , " to aw the airts and pairts ! " The local paper - the Strathearn Herald ran this story last week so as not all of you can buy it in your local store , I have included it here.

Strath man's blog surprise internet hit


Feb 8 2013 by Rachel Blackburn, Strathearn Herald

A blog about Strathearn’s local heritage has become a surprise internet hit drawing interest from all over the world.

Well-known Crieff historian Colin Mayall started writing the blog about 11 months ago and has already attracted more than 10,000 hits.

And his readers come from countries as diverse as the USA, Russia, Canada, France, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia.

Mr Mayall said: “You can analyse data from Google which tells you who is looking at your blog and what’s really quite incredible is the diversity of the people who have shown an interest in it.

“The emphasis of the blog is on Crieff and Strathearn so it’s great – if a bit surprising – to have such a wide audience from so many different countries.”

Mr Mayall, who has written four books on Strathearn local history, decided to start a blog in an attempt to share a lot of the local information and stories he has acquired over the years and because he thought it would be good publicity for the area.

He says: “Some of the blogs are quite light-hearted while others are more serious – I write about various subjects which I have information and knowledge about and I also include some photographs.

“Sometimes readers comment about what they’ve been looking at and that’s been very interesting and it’s great that people are engaging with the blog.

“There are a lot of people out there who are interested in local history and I did the blog purely because I believe I should put something back into the community and share the detailed knowledge I have.

“I’m really enjoying doing it and it’s great to stimulate interest in our area.”

So far, Mr Mayall has blogged on around 50 diverse subjects including Romans, the area’s Neolithic heritage (3500 BC), Witchcraft, The Tryst and famous and infamous sons of the Strath.

Other posts have included a feature on the `Last Thatched House in Crieff’; tales about famous Crieff movie star Ewan McGregor and his actor uncle Denis Lawson who appeared in the first Star Wars film and an article about the history of St Fillans.

Of the more than 10,000 hits Mr Mayall’s popular site has received, a total of 56% have come from the UK and 25% from USA.

The country with the next highest number of viewings is Russia followed by Australia, Canada, Germany, France, New Zealand, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia.

The blog has also received regular viewings from people in China, Japan and the Scandinavian countries.

Interested Herald readers can check out Mr Mayall’s blog by visiting perthshirecrieffstrathearnlocalhistor.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

Comments

  1. juneable12 February 2013 at 14:12

    Crieff deserves to be seen and learned about. Thank you Colin

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Rise and Fall of Inchbrakie – The Story of the Graemes and Why A Great House Was Demolished and A Family Heritage Threatened

Image
Inchbrakie House The Inchbrakie story is one of the sad tales of the Strath. This ancient family once were one of the dominant influences in Strathearn and their names appeared with frequent regularity as the centuries unfold. The Graeme family of Inchbrakie are however still around. There is a most excellent web site http://www.inchbrakie.com/ which provides a superb source of research and information into not only the family but also their domicile up until the late 19th century at Inchbrakie . Anthony Graeme , a present day descendant and a most charming person , lives in far off Devon but is a frequent visitor here in Strathearn .Interestingly , there are here in Crieff,  a couple of roads bearing that illustrious name .One wonders just how many of the inhabitants of houses in those specific airts know much about the original name ! We are, however ,  most fortunate that the family history of the Graemes was painstakingly recorded in a book Orr and Sable – a bo
Read more

Glen Artney and Auchnashelloch : A Royal Forest and Comrie’s Highland Heritage .

Image
A number of years ago I purchased a  small booklet on Glen Artney in the book shop  that existed for  some years in Drummond Street Comrie. The author was the late Gordon Booth FSA , a superb researcher and accomplished author . He was not a local man since moving to the village  from I believe the Island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides. Since arriving in the area, he  had  read and assimilated much of the history and folk lore of this part of the Strath  .I recall the late Tom Weir ( of the woolly hat ) doing a programme in his Weir’s Way series on Glen Artney an d featuring Gordon Booth . Regrettably  all seven of his little books are out of print although they may be available to borrow through Perth and Kinross Library Service. I have incorporated partial excerpts from his  writings in this blog on the Glen which I duly acknowledge as a fitting tribute to his diligence . Glen Artney is some eight or  so miles in length from the former prisoner  of war camp at Cultybr
Read more

Feddal Castle, Braco

Image
Feddal Castle, Braco Introduction : The PerthshireCrieffStrathearn Blogs  have  been posting  now on local history and places of interest in the area for  over  10 years with well over  200 tales of  varying styles and types . This new  blog on Feddal Castle at Braco is of  special interest to me . It is the  first blog   by  my  son Nic and his  family . A team  effort if there ever  was one ! The buildings  have a fascinating  history and have  been comparatively  neglected  by other  local historians despite its proximity  to Braco and   ease of access . The standard of pictures throughout is  high and the script  informative ; Blog Team : Nic Mayall ,Caroline Mayall and Callum Mayall As a relative newcomer to Braco & Greenloaning, I am keen to explore some of the local history and learn more about the area. Braco is rich in history, being home to one of the best preserved Roman camps at Ardoch and also Braco Castle. My curiosity has been piqued more about the history we
Read more