It's Been Three Years of Crieff & Strathearn Local History Blogs !
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It's Been Three Years of Crieff & Strathearn Local History Blogs !
23 February 2015
Incredible that in three years well over 100 " Blogs " have been posted on this web site . I would like to share with you some facts and figures , both about my wee " blog" and about me myself !
Incredible that in three years well over 100 " Blogs " have been posted on this web site . I would like to share with you some facts and figures , both about my wee " blog" and about me myself !
How many Blogs have you actually posted ?
Including this one some 133 have been posted starting on the 26 February 2012 .
How many " hits " have you had in that time ?
To date some 54 000 have been recorded averaging approximately 1500 per month although in the last year it has climbed to an average of over 2 000 .
Do you know where these viewers come from?
Thanks to the Google technology I can analyse viewing statistics quite easily , by day, week , month or overall . In the three years we have been on the Net the " top ten " countries have been :
1. United Kingdom 23 366
2. USA 11 557
3. Germany 6 349
4. France 1 583
5. Canada 985
How many " hits " have you had in that time ?
To date some 54 000 have been recorded averaging approximately 1500 per month although in the last year it has climbed to an average of over 2 000 .
Do you know where these viewers come from?
Thanks to the Google technology I can analyse viewing statistics quite easily , by day, week , month or overall . In the three years we have been on the Net the " top ten " countries have been :
1. United Kingdom 23 366
2. USA 11 557
3. Germany 6 349
4. France 1 583
5. Canada 985
6. Ukraine 915
7. Russia 832
8. Australia 686
9. China 635
10. Poland 307
What have been your most popular " Blogs " of the one hundred and thirty three you have posted ?
By far the most popular one has been the one on transport in the Strath. I wrote this initially for a local history class I was tutoring here in Crieff some ten years or so ago .
http://perthshirecrieffstrathearnlocalhistor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/story-of-transport-in-strath.html
Perhaps one reason for its success has been it covers a many aspects of communication that have been neglected by perhaps the more conventional historians . It looks at the Roman influence , the packmen ( merchants ) and the old pack bridges which are dotted over the Strath as well as the rise and fall of our railway system .
Others which have proven very popular are about two of the great guys who lived here in Strathearn . Lewis Miller ( number two ) born at Balloch near Crieff who was a plough boy before achieving wealth and fame as a timber merchant . The other is not a native of this " heath " but was spent his latter days at Ferntower in Crieff - he was General Sir David Baird ( number three ) whose monument dominates the road between Crieff and Comrie .
At fourth spot is the Blog about Witchcraft and in fifth spot the litttle piece about Ewan MacGregor and his uncle , Denis Lawson .
How can you check out the index of Blogs ?
There is an index published originally in October 2014 which is updated regularly . Check it out on :
http://perthshirecrieffstrathearnlocalhistor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/perthshire-crieffstrathearn-local.html
In addition there is a easy source of navigation on the right hand side of every Blog giving the year and the number published Click on this for the monthly details .
Why did you start this Blog ?
I had written four books covering the local history of Strathearn and had taught further
education classes locally in history and genealogy through Perth College ( University of the Highlands and Islands ) . In the process I had accumulated substantial source information . The Blog was an ideal method of putting things on a wider stage !
Are you from Crieff or Strathearn ?
No I was born in Renfrewshire in the west of Scotland and went to school in Glasgow before studying surveying at the Royal College of Science and Technology ( Strathclyde
University ) . As a child I holidayed in Crieff on many occasions . My wife's family can be traced back to the 17th century in Muthill and my own family have all been educated and brought up in Strathearn .I have lived her for over forty years so perhaps I just qualify as a native !
Why did you choose to settle in Strathearn ?
I've worked and lived in numerous countries over many years . Crieff and Strathearn is my chosen home . The scenic grandeur of our mountains and lochs , MacRosty Park , our hidden history and of course , the most important aspect - the people who live here . I have met and befriended so many genuine people - some who sadlly are no longer with us but whose memories live on . Native sons - wee Alan Clark - lolly pop man and true charachter - Johnny Robertson- joiner and football player , coach and manager - Fraser Neil - auctioneer and charachter despite the Mr Grumpy facade ! Incomers who found a home amongst - Alan Rose - the big Highlander from Inverness - sadly taken from us so young - a person who got things done like buying a full set of floodlights from an English non League football club on ebay to illuminate the Braidhaugh training of Crieff Rugby ! Robin McNeill , engineer and organiser who partnered me for some thirty years organising our annual Rugby Sevens . There were / are so many more . This is home .
What do you consider the most important aspect of your Blogs ?
I have tried to highlight many aspects of our Perthshire heritage that have been either neglected or forgotten . There are many people and organisations working assiduously to promote the Strath amongst locals , visitors and , indeed, strangers .There is clearly however a serious short fall in the projection and publicity of our many attributes . The analysis above showing the geographic distribution of those who follow this " Blog " is quite illuminating . I trust Visit Scotland have tuned in and act accordingly - more Tourist Offices should be opening and NOT closing - nuff said !
7. Russia 832
8. Australia 686
9. China 635
10. Poland 307
What have been your most popular " Blogs " of the one hundred and thirty three you have posted ?
By far the most popular one has been the one on transport in the Strath. I wrote this initially for a local history class I was tutoring here in Crieff some ten years or so ago .
http://perthshirecrieffstrathearnlocalhistor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/story-of-transport-in-strath.html
Perhaps one reason for its success has been it covers a many aspects of communication that have been neglected by perhaps the more conventional historians . It looks at the Roman influence , the packmen ( merchants ) and the old pack bridges which are dotted over the Strath as well as the rise and fall of our railway system .
Others which have proven very popular are about two of the great guys who lived here in Strathearn . Lewis Miller ( number two ) born at Balloch near Crieff who was a plough boy before achieving wealth and fame as a timber merchant . The other is not a native of this " heath " but was spent his latter days at Ferntower in Crieff - he was General Sir David Baird ( number three ) whose monument dominates the road between Crieff and Comrie .
At fourth spot is the Blog about Witchcraft and in fifth spot the litttle piece about Ewan MacGregor and his uncle , Denis Lawson .
How can you check out the index of Blogs ?
There is an index published originally in October 2014 which is updated regularly . Check it out on :
http://perthshirecrieffstrathearnlocalhistor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/perthshire-crieffstrathearn-local.html
In addition there is a easy source of navigation on the right hand side of every Blog giving the year and the number published Click on this for the monthly details .
Why did you start this Blog ?
I had written four books covering the local history of Strathearn and had taught further
education classes locally in history and genealogy through Perth College ( University of the Highlands and Islands ) . In the process I had accumulated substantial source information . The Blog was an ideal method of putting things on a wider stage !
Are you from Crieff or Strathearn ?
No I was born in Renfrewshire in the west of Scotland and went to school in Glasgow before studying surveying at the Royal College of Science and Technology ( Strathclyde
University ) . As a child I holidayed in Crieff on many occasions . My wife's family can be traced back to the 17th century in Muthill and my own family have all been educated and brought up in Strathearn .I have lived her for over forty years so perhaps I just qualify as a native !
Why did you choose to settle in Strathearn ?
I've worked and lived in numerous countries over many years . Crieff and Strathearn is my chosen home . The scenic grandeur of our mountains and lochs , MacRosty Park , our hidden history and of course , the most important aspect - the people who live here . I have met and befriended so many genuine people - some who sadlly are no longer with us but whose memories live on . Native sons - wee Alan Clark - lolly pop man and true charachter - Johnny Robertson- joiner and football player , coach and manager - Fraser Neil - auctioneer and charachter despite the Mr Grumpy facade ! Incomers who found a home amongst - Alan Rose - the big Highlander from Inverness - sadly taken from us so young - a person who got things done like buying a full set of floodlights from an English non League football club on ebay to illuminate the Braidhaugh training of Crieff Rugby ! Robin McNeill , engineer and organiser who partnered me for some thirty years organising our annual Rugby Sevens . There were / are so many more . This is home .
What do you consider the most important aspect of your Blogs ?
I have tried to highlight many aspects of our Perthshire heritage that have been either neglected or forgotten . There are many people and organisations working assiduously to promote the Strath amongst locals , visitors and , indeed, strangers .There is clearly however a serious short fall in the projection and publicity of our many attributes . The analysis above showing the geographic distribution of those who follow this " Blog " is quite illuminating . I trust Visit Scotland have tuned in and act accordingly - more Tourist Offices should be opening and NOT closing - nuff said !
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