Lecropt
Encyclopedia
Lecropt is a rural parish
lying to the west of Bridge of Allan
, Scotland
.
The population of the parish of Lecropt is estimated to be around 75, consisting entirely of isolated farms and houses, as well as the Keir Estate
owned by the landed Stirling family. Lecropt today contains no town or village, though it lies on the outskirts of the village of Bridge of Allan.
Historically, Lecropt's population was higher and was as high as 500 around the year 1800. The decline in population over the decades can be explained partly, but not wholly, by rural depopulation. However in 1800 Bridge of Allan, then a tiny hamlet of no more than 100 people, was included in Lecropt. As Bridge of Allan grew during the 19th century, the whole village was eventually brought under the adjacent parish of Logie, reducing Lecropt's population.
There had also been another village called Lecropt, the site of which was further north-west, on the other side of the line of the M9 motorway from the current parish church. This village hosted the parish church until this was moved to its present site in the early 19th century, on the A9 road. The village of Lecropt itself had been abandoned.
, and one-third in the county of Stirling
. Today, Lecropt falls wholly within Stirling Council area. The River Teith
bounds it on the south-west, where it meets the Forth
and the Allan Water
on the east. The southern point is where the Allan falls into the united streams of the other two. From east to west it extends about 3 miles (4.8 km), and nearly about as much from north to south.
It contains about 2000 acres (8.1 km²), one-half of which - the southern part - is known as the Carse of Lecropt. The fertile soil of the carse is a rich clay. The other, northern half is upland, or what is generally called dry-field. Much of this consists of the policy lands of Keir House.
The clay soil on the south is divided from the upland by a beautiful bank, which crosses the parish almost parallel to the north side, and nearly at one-third of the distance between it and the southern extremity.
The political party Scottish Voice
is based here, headquartered at the Keir Estate offices at Craigarnhall on the Lecropt Kirk-Doune
road. The party contested its first election to the Scottish Parliament
on 3 May 2007.
Lecropt Kirk (see below) and nearby Lecropt Nursery, which used to be the parish school, stand on the A9 road leading out of Bridge of Allan, north towards Dunblane
.
.
Occupying a superb, elevated position overlooking the carse lands, Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument can be clearly seen from the church grounds and is located about a mile from Bridge of Allan and 3 miles (4.8 km) from Dunblane.
The interior is a period piece of controlled dignity and beauty, containing in its loft, vaults and monuments the influence of an old landed family, the Stirlings of Keir, built in the age of patronage. This late Georgian church is an early example of its style in Scotland, in company with the other carse Kirks of Kippen and Kincardine in Menteith.
There has been a church at Lecropt prior to 1827, the old kirk was built in 1400 in what is now the Keir estate although nothing remains of the Kirk. It is known that there was a church at Lecropt prior to 1260.
http://www.dunblaneweb.co.uk/lecropt/church20.jpg
The M9 motorway passes through the parish. Imposing views of the church towering above the carse lands are to be had when travelling north on this motorway. However, no junction connects the motorway directly to Lecropt, access normally being via Keir roundabout (junction 11 on the M9) or through Bridge of Allan.
Lecropt is in a very central position in Scotland's road network. The A9 leads north to Perth
, Inverness
and, via the A90, Dundee
and Aberdeen
. Southwards on the M9 is Edinburgh and, via the M80
, Glasgow.
Lecropt is served by Bridge of Allan railway station, which is ¼ mile south east of the church, connecting the parish with Dunblane, Stirling, Edinburgh
and Glasgow
.
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
lying to the west of Bridge of Allan
Bridge of Allan
Bridge of Allan is a town in Stirling council area in Scotland, just north of the city of Stirling. It was formerly administered by Stirlingshire and Central Regional Council....
, 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...
.
The population of the parish of Lecropt is estimated to be around 75, consisting entirely of isolated farms and houses, as well as the Keir Estate
Keir House
Keir House is a large country house near Stirling in central Scotland. It is located in the parish of Lecropt, north-west of Bridge of Allan, in the former county of Perthshire. The estate was home to the Stirling family from the 15th to the 20th century...
owned by the landed Stirling family. Lecropt today contains no town or village, though it lies on the outskirts of the village of Bridge of Allan.
Historically, Lecropt's population was higher and was as high as 500 around the year 1800. The decline in population over the decades can be explained partly, but not wholly, by rural depopulation. However in 1800 Bridge of Allan, then a tiny hamlet of no more than 100 people, was included in Lecropt. As Bridge of Allan grew during the 19th century, the whole village was eventually brought under the adjacent parish of Logie, reducing Lecropt's population.
There had also been another village called Lecropt, the site of which was further north-west, on the other side of the line of the M9 motorway from the current parish church. This village hosted the parish church until this was moved to its present site in the early 19th century, on the A9 road. The village of Lecropt itself had been abandoned.
Geography
Historically about two thirds of this parish were situated within the county of PerthPerthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
, and one-third in the county of Stirling
Stirlingshire
Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling is a registration county of Scotland, based around Stirling, the former county town. It borders Perthshire to the north, Clackmannanshire and West Lothian to the east, Lanarkshire to the south, and Dunbartonshire to the south-west.Until 1975 it was a county...
. Today, Lecropt falls wholly within Stirling Council area. The River Teith
River Teith
The River Teith in Scotland flows from the north-west into the River Forth near Drip north-west of Stirling.- Etymology :The name comes from the Scottish Gaelic Uisge Theavich, which translates into English as the "pleasant river".- Course :...
bounds it on the south-west, where it meets the Forth
River Forth
The River Forth , long, is the major river draining the eastern part of the central belt of Scotland.The Forth rises in Loch Ard in the Trossachs, a mountainous area some west of Stirling...
and the Allan Water
Allan Water
The Allan Water is a river in central Scotland, United Kingdom. Rising in the Ochil Hills, it runs through Strathallan to Dunblane and Bridge of Allan before joining the River Forth....
on the east. The southern point is where the Allan falls into the united streams of the other two. From east to west it extends about 3 miles (4.8 km), and nearly about as much from north to south.
It contains about 2000 acres (8.1 km²), one-half of which - the southern part - is known as the Carse of Lecropt. The fertile soil of the carse is a rich clay. The other, northern half is upland, or what is generally called dry-field. Much of this consists of the policy lands of Keir House.
The clay soil on the south is divided from the upland by a beautiful bank, which crosses the parish almost parallel to the north side, and nearly at one-third of the distance between it and the southern extremity.
The political party Scottish Voice
Scottish Voice
A new centre-right political party, provisionally named the Scottish Democrats or Scottish Voice, was launched in Scotland in February 2007. The founder of the party is wealthy businessman and landowner Archie Stirling...
is based here, headquartered at the Keir Estate offices at Craigarnhall on the Lecropt Kirk-Doune
Doune
Doune is a burgh in the district of Stirling, Scotland, on the River Teith. Doune's postal address places the town in Perthshire, although geographically it lies within the District of Stirling, and administratively Doune is under the control of Stirling Council...
road. The party contested its first election to the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
on 3 May 2007.
Lecropt Kirk (see below) and nearby Lecropt Nursery, which used to be the parish school, stand on the A9 road leading out of Bridge of Allan, north towards Dunblane
Dunblane
Dunblane is a small cathedral city and former burgh north of Stirling in the Stirling council area of Scotland. The town is situated off the A9 road, on the way north to Perth. Its main landmark is Dunblane Cathedral and the Allan Water runs through the town centre, with the Cathedral and the High...
.
Lecropt Kirk
Lecropt Kirk is a handsome essay in Gothic revival style, built in 1825-7 to the designs of David Hamilton and William Stirling, a local architect. It is a parish church of the Church of ScotlandChurch of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
.
Occupying a superb, elevated position overlooking the carse lands, Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument can be clearly seen from the church grounds and is located about a mile from Bridge of Allan and 3 miles (4.8 km) from Dunblane.
The interior is a period piece of controlled dignity and beauty, containing in its loft, vaults and monuments the influence of an old landed family, the Stirlings of Keir, built in the age of patronage. This late Georgian church is an early example of its style in Scotland, in company with the other carse Kirks of Kippen and Kincardine in Menteith.
There has been a church at Lecropt prior to 1827, the old kirk was built in 1400 in what is now the Keir estate although nothing remains of the Kirk. It is known that there was a church at Lecropt prior to 1260.
http://www.dunblaneweb.co.uk/lecropt/church20.jpg
Famous people from Lecropt
- David StirlingDavid StirlingColonel Sir Archibald David Stirling, DSO, DFC, OBE was a Scottish laird, mountaineer, World War II British Army officer, and the founder of the Special Air Service.-Life before the war:...
, founder of the Special Air ServiceSpecial Air ServiceSpecial Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
. - Archie StirlingArchie StirlingArchibald Hugh Stirling, of Keir, more commonly known as Archie Stirling is Laird of the Keir estate at Lecropt in the Stirling council area in Scotland....
, founder and leader of Scottish VoiceScottish VoiceA new centre-right political party, provisionally named the Scottish Democrats or Scottish Voice, was launched in Scotland in February 2007. The founder of the party is wealthy businessman and landowner Archie Stirling...
.
Locations
- Lecropt Kirk (see above)
- Knockhill
- Southland (formerly Deafleys, renamed)
- Mid Lecropt: a farm and cottage are situated just west of the M9 motorway, and just south-west of Lecropt Kirk
- Bairnsburn
- Craigdownings (historic; abandoned)
- Old Keir
- Craigarnhall
- Easter Row
- Steeds
- Heathershot (historic; abandoned)
- Greenocks
- Westleys
- Cottonhaugh (historic; abandoned)
- Netherton
- Longleys
- Moss Side (historic; abandoned)
Transport
The parish church, as mentioned above, is on the A9 road just outside Bridge of Allan in the direction of Dunblane.The M9 motorway passes through the parish. Imposing views of the church towering above the carse lands are to be had when travelling north on this motorway. However, no junction connects the motorway directly to Lecropt, access normally being via Keir roundabout (junction 11 on the M9) or through Bridge of Allan.
Lecropt is in a very central position in Scotland's road network. The A9 leads north to 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...
, Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
and, via the A90, Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
and Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
. Southwards on the M9 is Edinburgh and, via the M80
M80 motorway
The M80 is a motorway in central Scotland, running through Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Falkirk and Stirling and links the M8, the M73 and M9 motorways. Following completion in 2011, this road is long. From 1992 - 2011, the road was in two sections; the southern section, Glasgow to Stepps and the...
, Glasgow.
Lecropt is served by Bridge of Allan railway station, which is ¼ mile south east of the church, connecting the parish with Dunblane, Stirling, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
.