Tom na Chastille

Tom na Chastille



Fully a mile south of the old kirk of Monzievaird lies Trowin or Trewin . Today it is dominated by Baird’s monument sitting atop Tom a Chastille or Castle Hill . Once it was the site of the castle of Earn . In by gone times it was at the north east edge of the Glen Artney deer forest  . From its summit beacon fires would proclaim the Earl’s rule over the whole of Strathearn . In 1329 John de Warrens , Earl of Surrey and his wife Joanna , Countess of Strathearn were condemned to imprisonment for life in the castle for complicity with various other lords against King Robert Bruce .. The judgement was given by the Parliament at Scone . Tradition states that castle was burned down in the later part of the 14th century and some noble ladies confined therein were consumed by the flames . About 1790 most of the old stones of the castle were removed to be used as building material for the farm dykes and other enclosures. When excavations were being carried out for the erection of the present monument in 1831, the old castle founds were exposed and several jars and pieces of metal were found blackened by the fire centuries before . From a part of the castle which probably had been the stables , a blackish mould was discovered which  transpired to have been horse manure !  Inter mixed with this were pieces of metal which were identified as being stirrup buckles .

Comments

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 Sab...
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...
Read more

The Story of Ferntower House

Image
There has been considerable   discussion   recently regarding the    state of decrepitude of   many of the older   and better   known   buildings   in Crieff . The Drummond Arms , the old Parish Church in Church Street ( aka the Community Hall ) , the George or Strathearn Hotel and the old Crown Hotel in East High Street . One   does   not   to travel too far back in time   to recall   the   fate of   many other fine buildings in Crieff and indeed in Strathearn on a wider basis . Although I devoted   a small space   some   months   back to Ferntower House   I find   it   so fascinating that I have   decided   I am going to elaborate further   and   include   more information   about it and   its most   celebrated occupant General Sir   David Baird   whose monument dominates so much of the Strath . It was a building ...
Read more