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General Sir David Baird ( 1757 to 1829 )

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"Oor Davie" General Sir David Baird (1757 –1829)   David Baird was born at Newbythe in East Lothian , the fifth son of David Baird an Edinburgh merchant on the 26 th December 1757 . Technically he is not a Strathearn man but such was the impact he made on our community, that it is incumbent on the author to include “ Oor Davie “ in this "Blog". The family were descended from the Bairds of Auchmeddan in Aberdeenshire and moved a few years later to a large house at the top of Castle Hill in Edinburgh .His father died when he was only eight and his mother found herself having to bring up seven boys and seven girls. He purchased a commission in the 2nd Foot (the Queens Regiment) that had been intended for one of his older brothers who had died unexpectedly. He was an ensign and not yet fifteen. After a year at a Military Academy , Baird joined his Regiment at Gibraltar and so began his illustrious m...
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The Rise and Fall of Inchbrakie – The Story of the Graemes and Why A Great House Was Demolished and A Family Heritage Threatened

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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...
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A Place Called Balloch

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For those of us  with a knowledge  of the origins  of Scottish place names that of Balloch can appear more than a little confusing . Most Scots  would instantaneously say : Balloch – that is the town at the south end of Loch Lomond where the trains stop ! The word itself is locally linguistic in origin  .It is a derivative of the Scottish Gaelic bealach , meaning a pass in hills or mountains. Balloch also occurs as a surname and one source indicates that although derived  from Gaelic  it is from the  word "ballach", meaning speckled or spotted . That conclusion I am sure would meet  with a stout  denial from  a good  friend of  mine and bearer of the name ! Here in Strathearn we have our own place named Balloch . It is tucked away in a sheltered  spot at the foot of Turleum and greatly by passed  by every day life . When you are leaving Crieff on the Muthill Road ( A 822 ) heading south turn sha...
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