Blog Archives

Gravestones, kirkyards and cemeteries

29/10/2012

Looking from Pithy Mary, across the Valley to the kirkyard and kirk. Click picture for larger image.

The Kirkyard at Stirling contains more monuments of the sixteenth and seventeenth century than the whole of the rest of the town. The owners of many of the stones can be identified, their styles and symbolism are a fascinating study.

As the eighteenth century advanced, new fashions in stones emerged and change reached its zenith with the creation of the 'educational sculpture garden' of the Valley Cemetery in 1858. Here, too, the grave monuments continued to change as new technologies and tastes brought about radical changes in design. But gravestones yield pride of place to the statues, the Star Pyramid and the Valley Rock Fountain, all redolent of Victorian piety (and obscurity).

I have published two papers about the area in the past and now plan to bring them together in a more user-friendly format as a leaflet which will be available (all being well) in the kirk itself for next season as an introduction for visitors and locals alike.

And, for anyone who is paying attention to 'John's Tasks' - be not alarmed. The sheep counting continues....

Central Scotland Green Network - talk on 6th Nov

24/10/2012

The excellent Friends of the Ochils are having their AGM at 7pm on Tuesday 6th November in The Alloa Town Hall, Tommy Downs Room. The AGM will be followed, after a short break for refreshments at around 7.30pm, by a presentation on the Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN) by Its Chief Executive, Keith Geddes, who will be accompanied by Simon Rennie, Head of the CSGN Support Unit. The CSGN aims to "change the face of Central Scotland, by restoring and transforming the landscape of an area stretching from Ayrshire and Inverclyde in the west, to Fife and the Lothian’s in the east". Its work could have a particularly significant impact on the Ochils and the Surrounding countryside and the Friends of the Ochils Committee would like to invite representatives of other like-minded organisations to the Presentation. We feel that it is important that we hear not just what the CSGN proposes for the Ochil’s and adjacent countryside but that we also give other organisations with which we work the opportunity to hear about the CSGN. If you intend to attend the meeting or if you need further information, please contact the secretary of Friends of the Ochils: David Scott, on 01786 832248 or email at dcbscott@tiscali.co.uk

Botanical Survey of Kings Park

20/10/2012

During this last summer I spent part of a pleasant morning with a group of volunteers organised by Friends of the Kings Park, intent on a survey of the park's flora.

Here are some notes, outlining what I said about the park that day.

Roy Sexton will be talking about the outcomes of the survey and comparing them with those from a century ago at a meeting of the Friends in the Smith Museum, Stirling at 7pm on 7th Nov.

Details of the meeting are attached

Much of the change, I am sure, will be down to changes in management; the replacement of pasturing livestock by mechanical mowing, much more intense draiinage of the golf course and its surroundings, use of sprays and fertilisers and so on.

But the particular changes will be sometimes surprising and interesting. Roy is a botanist using historical data - I am a historian but interested in the interaction of people with habitats. It's by breaking down old formal boundaries that we will make new progress.

Forth Naturalist and Historian Symposium 17 Nov 2012

16/10/2012

Detail of moss margin at south west corner of Flanders Moss showing encroachment by moss settlers.

I am due to speak at the Forth Naturalist Landscape Symposium on 17th Nov and it is time to prepare something.
This is an unusual local event, a long-established, multi-disciplinary day with speakers on a diversity of aspects of a particular topic.

This year the theme is 'How Green is My Valley' lookiing at uses of the environment and landscape over several centuries and into the future. Speakers include an archeologist and historians (looking at the past) but the interest extends into the future with talks about policy and legacy. So, an eclectic mix and an audience who like, I think, to feel that they are 'keeping up with what is going on' in research.

It is quite a challenge to fulfill the brief. I will be talking about moss clearance - not the 'greenest' of topics of course. And much of the work has been published. But I am pretty confident of having some new and surprising slants to keep the audience awake and interested.

You can download the programme and booking form here.

Stirling Local History Society

15/10/2012

The society's new season begins on 25th Oct with a talk by Craig Mair on 'Stirling Royal Infirmary - the first fifty years'.

The infimary was originally established on Spittal Street in 1874, only moving to the Livilands site in 1928 and finally closing in 2011 with the opening of the new Forth Valley Royal Hospital.

Craig is the author of 'the book' about the hospital, published last year. He is a well-known and lively speaker and I am sure there will be a good turn-out for an important topic.

The meeting starts at 7.30pm at the Smith - alll welcome, bring a friend. Membership is only £10 (students and under 18s free); there is a small charge for visitors.

For the rest of the programme see the website.

Kings Park - Stirling Council Decision

14/10/2012

King's Knot and Park as seen from Stirling Castle.

On Thursday last, Stirling Council considered the issue of the future ownership of the Kings Park.
At that point, their own bid to buy the park from the Crown Estate jointly with the golf club was still 'on the table'. In my view, the best solution by far would have been to withdraw the bid and encourage transfer of ownership to Scottish ministers who could then (through HIstoric Scotland) secure the rights of existing stake-holders.

They did not manage to go so far, though they were encouraged to do so by SNP and Green members. They have, at least, suspended their bid for further thought.

The park, Gowane Hills and the steep braes around the castle, are of major historical importance and could be a huge asset for Stirling and for Scotland. Stirlling Council has neither the skills nor the resources to manage the landscapes to the standards necessary. The Golf Club is a private organisation and its long-term committment to the protection of the landscapes cannot be guaranteed.

The Kings Park Community Council has outlined a sensible and practical vision, the Right Future, for the park. Let's hope that, before too long, Stirling Council adopts this policy. After that, all that is required is for the Crown Estate Commissioners to agree that land which has belonged to the people of Scotland for centuries, should be formally handed over to the Scottish Government, at nil cost, so that its future can be secured.

Historic Rural Settlement Group

11/10/2012

Following the recent meeting to revive this group a new website has been launched, within the site of the Centre for Environmental History and Policy at Stirling University. You can find the link here and on the links page.

At present the site is mainly based on the old material but it is expected that new and more up to date material will appear soon.

Geocaching in Menstrie Glen

2/10/2012

The area of Loss, in Menstrie Glen, with its planting, laid out by James Wright in the mid eighteenth century. The house of Loss is in the glen bottom, out of site in this shot.

It is now over ten years since I was involved in writing up my work on Menstrie Glen, which was published, along with a detailed archaeological study of the glen by the Royal Commission in 2001 as "'Well Shelterd and Watered"; Menstrie Glen, a farming landscape near Stirling'.

Yesterday, whilst checking out something entirely different, I found that the site of Loss, home of James Wright, whose detailed records provided so much of the information, was being used as a geocaching site - and that the background information was all clearly taken from our publication (for which see the Books and Chapters page).

It's something which, I guess, could not have happened back in 2000 or so, when fewer people had access to the technology; indeed, it was only quite recently that someone explained the concept of geocaching to me.

It is also a rather sobering thought, to find that the work from years ago, has been assimilated into 'the culture' of the glen, become a new part of the story. And, if it encourages people to get out into those landscapes, to understand them and perhaps to help protect them, then so much the better.

Broken Link

1/10/2012

I am afraid that, during the course of some routine mainenance of the site yesterday, the link to my Report on Scotland's Sixteenth Century Royal Landscapes was broken.

Now that this has been pointed out, it has been fixed and, just in case you are still perplexed, it is to be found at http://www.johnscothist.com/uploads/5/0/2/4/5024620/scottish_royal_landscapes.pdf

Sorry if it wasted your time - it has certainly taken up a good deal of mine!