Crieff
Encyclopedia
Crieff is a market town
in Perth and Kinross
, Scotland
. It lies on the A85 road
between Perth
and Crianlarich
and also lies on the A822
between Greenloaning
and Aberfeldy
. The A822
joins onto the A823
which leads to Dunfermline
.
In recent years Crieff has developed into a hub for tourism
, trading mainly on its whisky
and cattle droving history. Tourist attractions include the Caithness Glass Visitor Centre and Glenturret Distillery
. Innerpeffray Library
(established c. 1680), Scotland's oldest lending library, is also nearby. St. Mary's Chapel, adjacent to the library, dates from 1508. Both the library and chapel are open to the public: the library is run by a charitable trust, the chapel is in the care of Historic Scotland
.
and the north of England
. The town acted as a gathering point or tryst for the Michaelmas
cattle sale held each year and the surrounding fields and hillsides were black with the tens of thousands of cattle - some from as far away as Caithness
and the Outer Hebrides
(for comparison, in 1790 the population of Crieff was about 1,200 which led to a ratio of tens cows per person, similar to the sheep/human ratio in New Zealand
or Australia
today).
During the October Tryst (as the cattle gathering was known), Crieff was the prototype 'wild west' town. Milling with the cattle were horse thieves, bandits and drunken drovers. The inevitable killings were punished on the Kind Gallows, for which Crieff became known throughout Europe
.
By the eighteenth century the original hanging tree used by the Earls of Strathearn
had been replaced by a formal wooden structure in an area called Gallowhaugh - now Gallowhill, at the bottom of Burrell Street. What is now Ford Road was Gallowford Road which led down past the gallows to the crossing point over the River Earn
. In such a prominent position, Highlanders passing along the principal route would see the remains of so punished dangling overhead. The Highlanders used to touch their bonnets as they passed the place, with the words: "God bless you, and the Devil damn you." In Lord Macaulay's history he talks of a score of plaids hanging in a row, but the remains of the Gallows - held in Perth Museum - suggest the maximum capacity was only six.
The townspeople were mainly Presbyterian and anti-Jacobite. The Lairds were mostly Episcopalian
and Jacobite
. Crieff was well-known for its pro-government sympathies - it was reported that of the total population only two people supported the Old Pretender (clearly an exaggeration but proof of the extent of feeling).
Rob Roy MacGregor visited Crieff on many occasions, often to sell cattle. 'Rob Roy's outlaw son' was pursued through the streets of Crieff by soldiers and killed. In the second week of October 1714 the Highlanders gathered in Crieff for the October Tryst. By day Crieff was full of soldiers and government spies. Just after midnight, Rob Roy and his men marched to Crieff Town Square and rang the town bell. In front of the gathering crowd they sang Jacobite songs and drank a good many loyal toasts to their uncrowned King James VIII
.
In 1716, 350 Highlanders returning from the Battle of Sheriffmuir
burned most of Crieff to the ground. In 1731, James Drummond, 3rd Duke of Perth
, laid out the town's central James Square and established a textile industry with a flax factory. In the 1745 rising the Highlanders were itching to fire the town again and were reported as saying "she should be a bra toun gin she had anither sing". But it was saved by the Duke of Perth - a friend and supporter of Prince Charles. In February 1746 the Jacobite army was quartered in and around the town with Prince Charles Edward Stuart
holding his final war council in the old Drummond Arms Inn in James Square - located behind the present hotel in Hill Street. He also had his horse shod in the blacksmith's in King Street. Later in the month he reviewed his troops in front of Ferntower House, on what is today the Crieff Golf Course.
In the nineteenth century Crieff became a fashionable destination for tourists visiting the Highlands and as a country retreat for wealthy businessmen from Edinburgh, Glasgow and beyond. Many such visitors attended the hydropathic establishment, Crieff Hypopathic Establishment there, now Crieff Hydro
which opened in 1868, and remains in operation. Crieff still functions as a tourist centre, and the large villas stand as testaments to its use by wealthy city-dwellers.
Crieff was once served by Crieff railway station
. The station was opened in 1856 by the Crieff Junction Railway
, but was closed in 1964 by British Railways as part of the Beeching Axe
.
"Ye lovers of the picturesque, if ye wish to drown your grief,
Take my advice, and visit the ancient town of Crieff."
, which include music and dancing competitions and feats of strength.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
in Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It lies on the A85 road
A85 road
The A85 is a major road in Scotland. It runs east from Oban along the south bank of Loch Etive, through Lochawe and Tyndrum, Crianlarich, Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Crieff before passing through Perth, where it crosses the River Tay via Perth Bridge. Its name between the latter two locations is...
between Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
and Crianlarich
Crianlarich
Crianlarich is a village in the Stirling district and registration county of Perthshire, Scotland, about six miles north-east of the head of Loch Lomond...
and also lies on the A822
A822 road
The A822 is a road which runs through Perthshire in Scotland. It runs from the A9 road at Greenloaning, and rejoins the A9 at Dunkeld. It goes through Crieff and intersects the A85 road and the A823 road to Dunfermline....
between Greenloaning
Greenloaning
Greenloaning is a village in Perth and Kinross, Perthshire, Scotland. It lies by the Allan Water and the Stirling-Perth Railway line. It is one mile south of Braco and five miles north of Dunblane. There is a primary school and the Allanbank Hotel which has existed as an Inn since the 18th Century...
and Aberfeldy
Aberfeldy
Aberfeldy may refer to the following places:*Aberfeldy, Scotland*Aberfeldy, Ontario, Canada*Aberfeldy, Saskatchewan, Canada*Aberfeldy, Victoria, Australia-Other:*Aberfeldy , an indie/chamber pop band from Edinburgh, Scotland...
. The A822
A822 road
The A822 is a road which runs through Perthshire in Scotland. It runs from the A9 road at Greenloaning, and rejoins the A9 at Dunkeld. It goes through Crieff and intersects the A85 road and the A823 road to Dunfermline....
joins onto the A823
A823 road
The A823 is a road in Scotland which goes from south of Crieff to Dunfermline. It joins onto the A823 and the A822 which runs to Crieff....
which leads to Dunfermline
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
.
In recent years Crieff has developed into a hub for tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, trading mainly on its whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
and cattle droving history. Tourist attractions include the Caithness Glass Visitor Centre and Glenturret Distillery
Glenturret Distillery
The Glenturret Distillery is located on the banks of the Turret River two miles north west of Crieff in Perthshire, Scotland. The distillery is hidden in the valley and its secluded location may have contributed to its early history as the site of several illicit bothy stills. The high hills to...
. Innerpeffray Library
Innerpeffray Library
Innerpeffray Library was the first lending library in Scotland. It is located in the hamlet of Innerpeffray, by the River Earn in Perth and Kinross, southeast of Crieff. The library is a Category A listed building....
(established c. 1680), Scotland's oldest lending library, is also nearby. St. Mary's Chapel, adjacent to the library, dates from 1508. Both the library and chapel are open to the public: the library is run by a charitable trust, the chapel is in the care of Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, responsible for historic monuments in Scotland.-Role:As its website states:...
.
History
For a number of centuries Highlanders came south to Crieff to sell their black cattle whose meat and hides were avidly sought by the growing urban populations in Lowland ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the north of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The town acted as a gathering point or tryst for the Michaelmas
Michaelmas
Michaelmas, the feast of Saint Michael the Archangel is a day in the Western Christian calendar which occurs on 29 September...
cattle sale held each year and the surrounding fields and hillsides were black with the tens of thousands of cattle - some from as far away as Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
and the Outer Hebrides
Outer Hebrides
The Outer Hebrides also known as the Western Isles and the Long Island, is an island chain off the west coast of Scotland. The islands are geographically contiguous with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland...
(for comparison, in 1790 the population of Crieff was about 1,200 which led to a ratio of tens cows per person, similar to the sheep/human ratio in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
or Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
today).
During the October Tryst (as the cattle gathering was known), Crieff was the prototype 'wild west' town. Milling with the cattle were horse thieves, bandits and drunken drovers. The inevitable killings were punished on the Kind Gallows, for which Crieff became known throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
By the eighteenth century the original hanging tree used by the Earls of Strathearn
Earl of Strathearn
The Mormaer of Strathearn or Earl of Strathearn was a provincial ruler in medieval Scotland. Of unknown origin, the mormaers are attested for the first time in a document perhaps dating to 1115. The first known mormaer, Maol Íosa I is mentioned by Ailred of Rievaulx as leading native Scots in the...
had been replaced by a formal wooden structure in an area called Gallowhaugh - now Gallowhill, at the bottom of Burrell Street. What is now Ford Road was Gallowford Road which led down past the gallows to the crossing point over the River Earn
River Earn
The River Earn in Scotland leaves Loch Earn at St Fillans and runs east through Strathearn, then east and south, joining the River Tay near Abernethy. The Earn is about long. It passes by Comrie, Crieff and Bridge of Earn....
. In such a prominent position, Highlanders passing along the principal route would see the remains of so punished dangling overhead. The Highlanders used to touch their bonnets as they passed the place, with the words: "God bless you, and the Devil damn you." In Lord Macaulay's history he talks of a score of plaids hanging in a row, but the remains of the Gallows - held in Perth Museum - suggest the maximum capacity was only six.
The townspeople were mainly Presbyterian and anti-Jacobite. The Lairds were mostly Episcopalian
Scottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
and Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
. Crieff was well-known for its pro-government sympathies - it was reported that of the total population only two people supported the Old Pretender (clearly an exaggeration but proof of the extent of feeling).
Rob Roy MacGregor visited Crieff on many occasions, often to sell cattle. 'Rob Roy's outlaw son' was pursued through the streets of Crieff by soldiers and killed. In the second week of October 1714 the Highlanders gathered in Crieff for the October Tryst. By day Crieff was full of soldiers and government spies. Just after midnight, Rob Roy and his men marched to Crieff Town Square and rang the town bell. In front of the gathering crowd they sang Jacobite songs and drank a good many loyal toasts to their uncrowned King James VIII
James Francis Edward Stuart
James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of the deposed James II of England...
.
In 1716, 350 Highlanders returning from the Battle of Sheriffmuir
Battle of Sheriffmuir
The Battle of Sheriffmuir was an engagement in 1715 at the height of the Jacobite rebellion in England and Scotland.-History:John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar, standard-bearer for the Jacobite cause in Scotland, mustered Highland chiefs, and on 6 September declared James Francis Edward Stuart as King...
burned most of Crieff to the ground. In 1731, James Drummond, 3rd Duke of Perth
James Drummond, 3rd Duke of Perth
James Drummond, sixth Earl and third titular Duke of Perth , born 11 May 1713, was eldest son of James Drummond, fifth earl and second titular Duke of Perth and Lady Jane Gordon, daughter of George Gordon, 1st Duke of Gordon .....
, laid out the town's central James Square and established a textile industry with a flax factory. In the 1745 rising the Highlanders were itching to fire the town again and were reported as saying "she should be a bra toun gin she had anither sing". But it was saved by the Duke of Perth - a friend and supporter of Prince Charles. In February 1746 the Jacobite army was quartered in and around the town with Prince Charles Edward Stuart
Charles Edward Stuart
Prince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
holding his final war council in the old Drummond Arms Inn in James Square - located behind the present hotel in Hill Street. He also had his horse shod in the blacksmith's in King Street. Later in the month he reviewed his troops in front of Ferntower House, on what is today the Crieff Golf Course.
In the nineteenth century Crieff became a fashionable destination for tourists visiting the Highlands and as a country retreat for wealthy businessmen from Edinburgh, Glasgow and beyond. Many such visitors attended the hydropathic establishment, Crieff Hypopathic Establishment there, now Crieff Hydro
Crieff Hydro
Crieff Hydro is a hotel in Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland. The purpose-built hotel opened in 1868 as the Crieff Hydropathic Establishment, and is locally known as the Hydro...
which opened in 1868, and remains in operation. Crieff still functions as a tourist centre, and the large villas stand as testaments to its use by wealthy city-dwellers.
Crieff was once served by Crieff railway station
Crieff railway station
Crieff was a junction railway station at Crieff, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It was where the Crieff Junction Railway, Crieff & Methven Railway and the Comrie, St Fillans & Lochearnhead Railway met....
. The station was opened in 1856 by the Crieff Junction Railway
Crieff Junction Railway
The Crieff Junction Railway was constituted to link Crieff to the then Scottish Central Railway, later part of the Caledonian Railway at Gleneagles.The line opened on 13 March 1856 and was absorbed by the Scottish Central Railway on 29 June 1865....
, but was closed in 1964 by British Railways as part of the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
.
Fame in verse
Crieff was immortalised by William McGonagall in his poem "Crieff""Ye lovers of the picturesque, if ye wish to drown your grief,
Take my advice, and visit the ancient town of Crieff."
Events
Every year the town hosts the Crieff Highland GamesCrieff Highland Games
The Crieff Highland Gathering was founded in 1870 at Crieff in Scotland. It has been a regular fixture in August every year except during World War I and between 1939-1949....
, which include music and dancing competitions and feats of strength.
Schools
- Morrison's AcademyMorrison's AcademyMorrison's Academy is an independent co-educational school in Crieff, Scotland, which provides nursery, primary and secondary school facilities. All who attend are day pupils and it draws many pupils from surrounding Perth and Kinross and Stirling....
- Ardvreck SchoolArdvreck SchoolArdvreck School is an independent boarding school, located in Crieff in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It was established in 1883.-History:When W E Frost founded Ardvreck as a Preparatory School in 1883, he did so with the express intention of teaching all of his pupils 'patience, justice, obedience...
- St Dominics RC Primary School
- Crieff Primary School
- Strathearn Community CampusStrathearn Community CampusStrathearn Community Campus is the state of the art replacement building for the original Crieff High School and is one of the eleven secondary schools administered by Perth & Kinross Council...
Notable people
- Jackie DewarJackie DewarJack Dewar was a Scottish footballer who played as a left winger. Dewar began his footballing career shortly after the Second World War with Heart of Midlothian, scoring three goals in as many appearances before moving to Dundee United in 1947...
, footballer - Eve GrahamEve GrahamEve Graham is a Scottish singer, who found fame in the early 1970s with the pop group, The New Seekers.-Biography:...
, singer Has lived in Crieff since 2004. - Denis LawsonDenis LawsonDenis Stamper Lawson is a Scottish actor and director. He is known for his roles as John Jarndyce in the BBC's adaptation of Bleak House and as Gordon Urquhart in the film Local Hero, but is best known for playing the part of Wedge Antilles in the original Star Wars trilogy.-Early life:Lawson was...
, actor - Saul MarronSaul Marron-Early life:Born Saul-Joseph Marron in Leicester, the youngest of four children, he moved to Scotland as a baby and was raised in Crieff...
, actor - Ewan McGregorEwan McGregorEwan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor. He has had success in mainstream, indie, and art house films. McGregor is perhaps best known for his roles as heroin addict Mark Renton in the drama Trainspotting , young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy , and poet Christian in the...
, actor - Neil PatersonNeil Paterson (writer)James Edmund Neil Paterson , known as Neil Paterson, was a Scottish screenwriter.- Early life and football career :...
, OscarAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-winning screenwriterScreenwriterScreenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, was a resident of Crieff until his death in 1995 - Fiona PennieFiona PennieFiona Pennie is a British slalom canoeist who has competed internationally since 1997. She won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in 2000 and won the overall Junior World Cup Series in the same year. As an Under 23 athlete, she won a team bronze medal in 2004 and an individual...
, Olympic canoeist - Rory StewartRory StewartRoderick 'Rory' James Nugent Stewart OBE FRSL MP DUniv is a British academic, author, and Conservative politician. Since May 2010, he has been the Member of Parliament for Penrith and the Border, in the county of Cumbria, North West England.- Overview :Stewart was a senior coalition official in a...
, politician - Gavin StrangGavin StrangGavin Steel Strang is a British politician who served in the House of Commons for forty years , representing Edinburgh East in the Labour interest. He served as a minister in the 1974-1979 government under Prime Ministers Harold Wilson and James Callaghan as well as in the Cabinet under Tony Blair...
, politician - Simon TaylorSimon Taylor (rugby player)Simon Marcus Taylor is a Scottish professional rugby union footballer for Bath Rugby. He is a back-row forward, usually a number eight. He played for Edinburgh for six seasons between 2000 and 2006 and in 2007 agreed a three year deal with Stade Français joining them immediately after the 2007...
, Scottish international rugby player - Thomas Thomson, chemist
External links
- Guide to Crieff
- National Library of Scotland: SCOTTISH SCREEN ARCHIVE (selection of archive films about Crieff)