Comrie
Encyclopedia
Comrie is an affluent village and parish in the southern highlands
of Scotland
, towards the western end of the Strathearn
district of Perth and Kinross
, seven miles (11 km) west of Crieff
. The village has won the Royal Horticultural Society
"Large Village Britain in Bloom
Winner" in 2007 and 2010. Comrie also won a number of awards in the 2009 Beautiful Scotland Campaign, including Best Village and a special award for Continuous Community Involvement. Comrie is a historic conservation village, recognised for its outstanding beauty and history and is also situated in a National Scenic Area
around the river Earn. In addition Comrie is a thriving local community with over 50 local groups covering all ages and many interests. The town is twinned with Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada
.
Historically Comrie was assumed under the County of Perthshire
(Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) and is still generally described as such, even though the County was officially dismantled in 1975. Comrie sits at the confluence of three rivers. The River Ruchill (Gaelic: An Ruadh thuill, The Red Flood) and The River Lednock (Scots Gaelic: An Leathad Cnoc, The Wooded Knoll) are both tributaries of the Earn
(Gaelic: Uisge Éireann), which itself eventually feeds into the Tay
(Gaelic: Uisge Tatha). The name Comrie is of Gaelic
origin and is derived from the Gaelic word conruith meaning 'a place where rivers meet' or 'confluence'. Due to its position astride the Highland Boundary Fault
it has historically experienced frequent earthquakes and Comrie is now nicknamed the 'Shaky Toun/Toon' (Scots
) or 'Am Baile critheanach' (Gaelic
). In the 1830s, around 7,300 tremors were recorded and today Comrie remains one of the most geologically active areas in the United Kingdom and records earthquakes more often, and to a higher intensity, than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. Comrie became the site of one of the world's first seismometer
s in 1840.
The village's position on the Highland Boundary Fault
is unique. To the north of the village, Ben Chonzie
and the Grampian Mountains rise majestically, while to the south of the village wide and open moorland is joined by lesser (though still impressive) mountains and glens which provide a unique range of terrain and ecology.
In 79AD the Roman
General Agricola
chose what are now the outskirts of Comrie as the site to build a fort and temporary marching camp, because of the area's strategic position on the southern fringe of the Highlands
. The fort is one of the line of so-called "Glen
blocking" forts which runs from Drumquhassle to Stracathro
and includes the legionary
fortress of Inchtuthil
. The temporary camp was c. 22 acre (c. 9 ha) in size. An infamous battle between the Celts and Romans is known to have taken place on the unidentified mountain called Mons Graupius, and the area surrounding Comrie, Strathearn
, is one of several proposed battle sites.
Comrie's early prosperity derived from weaving
. This was mostly done as piecework in people's own homes. Comrie was also important as a droving
town. Cattle destined for the markets of the Scottish Lowlands
and ultimately England
would be driven south from their grazing areas in the Highlands
. River crossings, such as at Comrie, were important staging posts on the way south.
Over the years the village has grown to incorporate many of its smaller satellite settlements, including The Ross (Gaelic: An Ros) a small settlement to the west of the village contained within a river peninsula (An Ros literally translates as peninsula) which became more accessible when 'The Ross Bridge' was constructed in 1792. Prior to this the peninsula was only accessible via a river ford. Similarly, the once isolated communities in the glens and mountains around the village, such as Invergeldie in Glen Lednock and Dalchruin in Glen Artney have generally come to be considered part of Comrie village. Previously, these communities existed as small isolated settlements - for instance, Glen Lednock contained 21 different settlements of 350 individual structures and 25 corn-drying kilns. However, these exclusively Gaelic-speaking hamlets were largely eviscerated by The Highland Clearances
during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Comrie underwent something of a renaissance in the early 1800s as an attractive location for wealthy residents and visitors, an image which has been maintained to the present day. A result of this popularity was the coming of the railway in 1893, when the Caledonian Railway
completed a branch line from Crieff. This line was later extended to meet the Callander and Oban Railway
at Lochearnhead
. The line from Comrie to Lochearnhead was closed in 1951 and the Comrie to Crieff line closed in 1964, due largely to the improved road system in the area.
Comrie's mountainous location with an abundance of streams and lochs meant that the early 20th Century saw the development of a number of hydro-electric power schemes in the area. A dam was built in Glen Lednock and water was piped from Loch Earn in the west to another power station.
Today Comrie is an attractive retirement village, recording the largest proportion of over-65s in Scotland in the 1991 census. The village's economy is supplemented by adventure and wildlife tourism.
(or Mokessog), who may have flourished in the 8th century. Comrie is also graced by a little-known Charles Rennie Mackintosh
building, a shop in the main street with a first floor corner turret built in a version of the Scottish vernacular style (not visible in the above illustration).
Much of the land around Comrie was owned by the Drummond
family, Earls of Perth
, latterly Earls of Ancaster, whose main seat was Drummond Castle
, south of Crieff
. Another branch of the Drummonds owned Drummondernoch, to the west of the town. Here also stands Aberuchill Castle, originally a Campbell
seat. A granite
obelisk
atop Dunmore Hill to the north commemorates Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
. This monument is reached via the wooded Glen Lednock (Scots Gaelic: Gleann Leathad Cnoc) in which are to be found the Falls of Lednock or De'ils Cauldron.
To the south of the village is a military camp at Cultybraggan. During World War II
this was POW Camp 21 and housed Italian and later German prisoners of war. This was a 'black' camp (i.e. most of its inmates were ardent Nazis
), which became infamous after anti-Nazi German POW Wolfgang Rosterg was lynched there by fellow inmates (who were hanged after the war for the act). Rudolf Hess
was imprisoned within the camp overnight. Many of the more difficult Nazis were moved to POW Camp 165 at Watten
in Caithness
.
Within the grounds of the former POW camp there is a two story nuclear bunker (Cultybraggan RGHQ
), which was the proposed emergency location of the provincial Scottish government in case of nuclear attack. As late as the 1990s the bunker had its own accommodation, telephone exchange, sewage plant and even a BBC studio. More recently, in 2007 the local community trust
bought the camp, and the surrounding 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) of land, under Land Reform
legislation for the sum of £350,000.
Notable sights in and around Comrie:
ritual. Each Hogmanay, on the stroke of midnight, a torchlight procession marches through the village. Traditionally the procession involves the twelve strongest men of the village carrying long, thick birch poles, to which burning tarred rags are attached, to each of the four corners of the village. The procession is usually accompanied by the village pipe band
and villagers with floats and dressed in costume. After the procession the torches are thrown from the Dalginross Bridge into the River Earn. The precise origins of the ceremony are unclear. It is generally assumed to have pre-Christian Celtic or possibly Pictish roots and to be intended to cleanse the village of evil spirits in advance of the new year (albeit the new year
's commencing in January
is a relatively modern convention).
The spectacle attracts thousands of visitors from all around the world to the small highland village each Hogmanay
. A countdown to midnight is usually held at Melville Square and after the processions people gather here again for traditional Scottish music and dancing. Drinking alcohol in the street is commonplace and tolerated. Parties in village homes are common and other Scottish Hogmanay
traditions like first footing are also observed.
and Scots
.
Historically, Comrie and the surrounding area has been part of the Gàidhealtachd
. Indeed, census data from 1891 estimates that 17.9% of the population of Comrie were native Gaelic speakers. As with the rest of Scotland however, the number of Gaelic speakers in Comrie has been steadily declining for some time. In 1901 only 8.3% of the population were native Gaelic speakers, while only 4.5% of the population had Gaelic as their sole language. The most recent census data for 2002 shows that only approximately 2% of the population are native Gaelic speakers.
The decline of Gaelic speakers in the area can be largely attributed to The Highland Clearances
(Scottish Gaelic: Fuadach nan Gàidheal) in the 18th and 19th Century , which saw people in the smaller satellite settlements of the village (located in the surrounding mountains and glens) forcibly displaced from their homes, and many forced to emigrate to Canada, Australasia and North America. As with the rest of Scotland (excluding the North-west), Gaelic speakers have struggled to retain their language through the generations, though Comrie retains a larger than average number of speakers.
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
of 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...
, towards the western end of the Strathearn
Strathearn
Strathearn or Strath Earn is the strath of the River Earn, in Scotland. It extends from Loch Earn in Perth and Kinross to the River Tay....
district of 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...
, seven miles (11 km) west of Crieff
Crieff
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....
. The village has won the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
"Large Village Britain in Bloom
Britain in Bloom
RHS Britain in Bloom, supported by Anglian Home Improvements, is the largest horticultural campaign in the United Kingdom. It was first held in 1963, initiated by the British Tourist Board based on the example set by Fleurissement de France. It has been organised by the Royal Horticultural Society ...
Winner" in 2007 and 2010. Comrie also won a number of awards in the 2009 Beautiful Scotland Campaign, including Best Village and a special award for Continuous Community Involvement. Comrie is a historic conservation village, recognised for its outstanding beauty and history and is also situated in a National Scenic Area
National Scenic Area
National Scenic Area is a designation for areas of natural beauty used by more than one nation.* National Scenic Area * National Scenic Area * National scenic areas in Taiwan* National Scenic Area...
around the river Earn. In addition Comrie is a thriving local community with over 50 local groups covering all ages and many interests. The town is twinned with Carleton Place, Ontario, Canada
Carleton Place, Ontario
Carleton Place is a town in the eastern portion of Eastern Ontario, Canada, in Lanark County, about west of downtown Ottawa. It is located at the crossroads of Highway 15 and Highway 7, halfway between the towns of Perth, Almonte, Smiths Falls, and the nation's capital, Ottawa...
.
Location
Perthshire
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...
(Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) and is still generally described as such, even though the County was officially dismantled in 1975. Comrie sits at the confluence of three rivers. The River Ruchill (Gaelic: An Ruadh thuill, The Red Flood) and The River Lednock (Scots Gaelic: An Leathad Cnoc, The Wooded Knoll) are both tributaries of the 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....
(Gaelic: Uisge Éireann), which itself eventually feeds into the Tay
River Tay
The River Tay is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui , then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochhart, Loch Lubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay , in...
(Gaelic: Uisge Tatha). The name Comrie is of Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
origin and is derived from the Gaelic word conruith meaning 'a place where rivers meet' or 'confluence'. Due to its position astride the Highland Boundary Fault
Highland Boundary Fault
The Highland Boundary Fault is a geological fault that traverses Scotland from Arran and Helensburgh on the west coast to Stonehaven in the east...
it has historically experienced frequent earthquakes and Comrie is now nicknamed the 'Shaky Toun/Toon' (Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
) or 'Am Baile critheanach' (Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
). In the 1830s, around 7,300 tremors were recorded and today Comrie remains one of the most geologically active areas in the United Kingdom and records earthquakes more often, and to a higher intensity, than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. Comrie became the site of one of the world's first seismometer
Seismometer
Seismometers are instruments that measure motions of the ground, including those of seismic waves generated by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other seismic sources...
s in 1840.
The village's position on the Highland Boundary Fault
Highland Boundary Fault
The Highland Boundary Fault is a geological fault that traverses Scotland from Arran and Helensburgh on the west coast to Stonehaven in the east...
is unique. To the north of the village, Ben Chonzie
Ben Chonzie
Ben Chonzie, also known as Ben-y Hone, is a Scottish mountain situated eleven kilometres northwest of Crieff. It stands at 931 m and is therefore listed as a Munro...
and the Grampian Mountains rise majestically, while to the south of the village wide and open moorland is joined by lesser (though still impressive) mountains and glens which provide a unique range of terrain and ecology.
History
There is significant evidence of prehistoric habitation of the area, characterised by numerous standing stones and archeological remains, which give some insight into the original Pictish and later Celtic societies.In 79AD the Roman
Roman army
The Roman army is the generic term for the terrestrial armed forces deployed by the kingdom of Rome , the Roman Republic , the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine empire...
General Agricola
Gnaeus Julius Agricola
Gnaeus Julius Agricola was a Roman general responsible for much of the Roman conquest of Britain. His biography, the De vita et moribus Iulii Agricolae, was the first published work of his son-in-law, the historian Tacitus, and is the source for most of what is known about him.Born to a noted...
chose what are now the outskirts of Comrie as the site to build a fort and temporary marching camp, because of the area's strategic position on the southern fringe of the Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
. The fort is one of the line of so-called "Glen
Glen
A glen is a valley, typically one that is long, deep, and often glacially U-shaped; or one with a watercourse running through such a valley. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower than a strath."...
blocking" forts which runs from Drumquhassle to Stracathro
Stracathro
Stracathro is a small place in Angus, Scotland,-Location:Stracathro is located 2½ miles southeast of Edzell in NE Angus. It lies to the northeast of Brechin on the A90.-History:...
and includes the legionary
Legionary
The Roman legionary was a professional soldier of the Roman army after the Marian reforms of 107 BC. Legionaries had to be Roman citizens under the age of 45. They enlisted in a legion for twenty-five years of service, a change from the early practice of enlisting only for a campaign...
fortress of Inchtuthil
Inchtuthil
Inchtuthil is the site of a Roman legionary fortress situated on a natural platform overlooking the north bank of the River Tay southwest of Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross, Scotland.It was built in 82 or 83 AD as the advance headquarters for the forces of governor Gnaeus Julius...
. The temporary camp was c. 22 acre (c. 9 ha) in size. An infamous battle between the Celts and Romans is known to have taken place on the unidentified mountain called Mons Graupius, and the area surrounding Comrie, Strathearn
Strathearn
Strathearn or Strath Earn is the strath of the River Earn, in Scotland. It extends from Loch Earn in Perth and Kinross to the River Tay....
, is one of several proposed battle sites.
Comrie's early prosperity derived from weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
. This was mostly done as piecework in people's own homes. Comrie was also important as a droving
Droving
Droving is the practice of moving livestock over large distances by walking them "on the hoof".Droving stock to market, usually on foot and often with the aid of dogs, has a very long history in the old world...
town. Cattle destined for the markets of the Scottish Lowlands
Scottish Lowlands
The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....
and ultimately 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...
would be driven south from their grazing areas in the Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
. River crossings, such as at Comrie, were important staging posts on the way south.
Over the years the village has grown to incorporate many of its smaller satellite settlements, including The Ross (Gaelic: An Ros) a small settlement to the west of the village contained within a river peninsula (An Ros literally translates as peninsula) which became more accessible when 'The Ross Bridge' was constructed in 1792. Prior to this the peninsula was only accessible via a river ford. Similarly, the once isolated communities in the glens and mountains around the village, such as Invergeldie in Glen Lednock and Dalchruin in Glen Artney have generally come to be considered part of Comrie village. Previously, these communities existed as small isolated settlements - for instance, Glen Lednock contained 21 different settlements of 350 individual structures and 25 corn-drying kilns. However, these exclusively Gaelic-speaking hamlets were largely eviscerated by The Highland Clearances
Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Comrie underwent something of a renaissance in the early 1800s as an attractive location for wealthy residents and visitors, an image which has been maintained to the present day. A result of this popularity was the coming of the railway in 1893, when the Caledonian Railway
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
completed a branch line from Crieff. This line was later extended to meet the Callander and Oban Railway
Callander and Oban Railway
The Callander and Oban Railway company was formed in 1864 with the objective of linking Callander, Scotland to the west coast port of Oban over challenging terrain, particularly at Glen Ogle and the Pass of Brander at Loch Awe. Callander had been reached in 1858 by the Dunblane, Doune and Callander...
at Lochearnhead
Lochearnhead
Lochearnhead is a village on the A84 Stirling to Crianlarich road at the foot of Glen Ogle, north of the Highland Boundary Fault...
. The line from Comrie to Lochearnhead was closed in 1951 and the Comrie to Crieff line closed in 1964, due largely to the improved road system in the area.
Comrie's mountainous location with an abundance of streams and lochs meant that the early 20th Century saw the development of a number of hydro-electric power schemes in the area. A dam was built in Glen Lednock and water was piped from Loch Earn in the west to another power station.
Today Comrie is an attractive retirement village, recording the largest proportion of over-65s in Scotland in the 1991 census. The village's economy is supplemented by adventure and wildlife tourism.
Sights and culture
The White Church, the former parish kirk, is Comrie's most striking building, with its prominent tower and spire situated on the roadside of the ancient churchyard at the heart of the village. This is an early Christian site, dedicated to the obscure early saint KessogKessog
Saint Kessog was an Irish missionary of the mid-sixth century active in the Lennox area and southern Perthshire. Kessog was Scotland's patron saint before Saint Andrew, and his name was used as a battle cry by the Scots. Son of the king of Cashel in Ireland, Kessog is said to have worked miracles,...
(or Mokessog), who may have flourished in the 8th century. Comrie is also graced by a little-known Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect, designer, watercolourist and artist. He was a designer in the Arts and Crafts movement and also the main representative of Art Nouveau in the United Kingdom. He had a considerable influence on European design...
building, a shop in the main street with a first floor corner turret built in a version of the Scottish vernacular style (not visible in the above illustration).
Much of the land around Comrie was owned by the Drummond
Clan Drummond
Clan Drummond is a Scottish clan deriving its name from the parish of Drymen, in what was western Stirlingshire. Legend gives Maurice of Hungary as founder of the clan...
family, Earls of Perth
Earl of Perth
The title Earl of Perth was created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1605 for James Drummond, 4th Lord Drummond.The Drummond family claim descent from Maurice, son of George, a younger son of King Andrew I of Hungary...
, latterly Earls of Ancaster, whose main seat was Drummond Castle
Drummond Castle
Drummond Castle is located in Perthshire, Scotland. The castle is best known for its gardens, described by Historic Scotland as "the best example of formal terraced gardens in Scotland." It is situated in Muthill parish, south of Crieff. The castle comprises a tower house built in the late 15th...
, south of Crieff
Crieff
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....
. Another branch of the Drummonds owned Drummondernoch, to the west of the town. Here also stands Aberuchill Castle, originally a Campbell
Campbell
-Places:In Australia:* Campbell, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra, AustraliaIn Canada:* Campbell, Nova Scotia, on Cape Breton Island Nova Scotia* Campbell Road, Edmonton, AlbertaIn New Zealand:...
seat. A granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
atop Dunmore Hill to the north commemorates Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville
Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville PC and Baron Dunira was a Scottish lawyer and politician. He was the first Secretary of State for War and the last person to be impeached in the United Kingdom....
. This monument is reached via the wooded Glen Lednock (Scots Gaelic: Gleann Leathad Cnoc) in which are to be found the Falls of Lednock or De'ils Cauldron.
To the south of the village is a military camp at Cultybraggan. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
this was POW Camp 21 and housed Italian and later German prisoners of war. This was a 'black' camp (i.e. most of its inmates were ardent Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
), which became infamous after anti-Nazi German POW Wolfgang Rosterg was lynched there by fellow inmates (who were hanged after the war for the act). Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess was a prominent Nazi politician who was Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party during the 1930s and early 1940s...
was imprisoned within the camp overnight. Many of the more difficult Nazis were moved to POW Camp 165 at Watten
Watten, Highland
Watten is a small village in Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland, on the main road between the county town of Wick and the burgh of Thurso, about twelve kilometres west of Wick and close to Wick River and to Loch Watten. The village is on The Far North railway line but trains stopped...
in 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...
.
Within the grounds of the former POW camp there is a two story nuclear bunker (Cultybraggan RGHQ
Regional Seat of Government
Regional Seats of Government or RSGs were the best known aspect of Britain's Civil Defence preparations against Nuclear War. In fact, however, naming conventions changed over the years as strategies in Whitehall changed....
), which was the proposed emergency location of the provincial Scottish government in case of nuclear attack. As late as the 1990s the bunker had its own accommodation, telephone exchange, sewage plant and even a BBC studio. More recently, in 2007 the local community trust
Development trust
Development Trusts are organisations which operate in the United Kingdom that are:*community based, owned and led*engaged in the economic, environmental and social regeneration of a defined area or community...
bought the camp, and the surrounding 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) of land, under Land Reform
Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003
The Land Reform Act 2003 is an Act of the Scottish Parliament. It created a framework for responsible access to land and inland water, formalising the tradition in Scotland of unhindered access to open countryside, provided that care was taken not to cause damage or interfere with activities...
legislation for the sum of £350,000.
Notable sights in and around Comrie:
- Ben ChonzieBen ChonzieBen Chonzie, also known as Ben-y Hone, is a Scottish mountain situated eleven kilometres northwest of Crieff. It stands at 931 m and is therefore listed as a Munro...
(Gaelic: Beinn a' Chòinnich) - A mountain and Munro which overlooks the village, famous for its many mountain hares. - Cultybraggan (Gaelic: Cultidh bragon) - An ancient farming site, and site of the once-secret underground nuclear bunker.
- Linn a' cullach (Gaelic:Pool of the Boar) - A deep freshwater pool, still commonly used for wild swimming in the summer months.
- The Deil's Cauldron (Gaelic: Slocha'n Donish, English: The Devil's Kettle) - A deep rock waterfall where legend has it there resides a water-elf called Uris-chidh who lures victims to a watery death.
- The earthquake house (Gaelic: An taigh crith-fuinn) - A small research station housing one of the world's first seismometers, still active today.
- Tullichettle (Gaelic: Tullich a' cadal) - An ancient churchyard.
- Auchingarrich - An ancient farming site. Now home to a wildlife centre.
- Loch EarnLoch EarnLoch Earn is a freshwater loch in the central highlands of Scotland, in the districts of Perth and Kinross and Stirling...
(Gaelic: Loch Éireann) - A beautiful freshwater loch surrounded by mountains. - Ben Vorlich (Loch Earn)Ben Vorlich (Loch Earn)Ben Vorlich is a mountain located in the southern part of the Highlands of Scotland. It lies in an area of land bounded to the north by Loch Earn, and to the west by Loch Lubnaig. The town of Callander lies to the south....
(Gaelic: Beinn Mhùrlaig) - A nearby mountain and Munro. - Fort Victoria - The remains of a Roman 'glen blocking' fort. This site is considered by some the farthest north that the Romans were able to invade Scotland.
- Standing stones - A number of standing stones are relics of the pre-Christian Celtic and Pictish societies which once inhabited the area.
- Melville Monument - A 72 foot granite obelisk which sits on a high, steep, craggy hillside overlooking the village. Built to commemorate First Lord Melville Henry Dundas.
- Dundas Monument - A similar, but smaller obelisk to the east of the village.
- Glen Artney (Gaelic: Gleann Artanaig) - A beautiful glen and ancient royal deer forest immortalised in Sir Walter Scott's The Lady in the Lake, it supplied venison to the Sovereigns of Scotland at Holyrood, Dunfermline and Falkland.
- Glen Lednock (Gaelic: Gleann Leathad Cnoc) - A beautiful highland glen in the mountains above the village, once home to a smaller community prior to the Highland ClearancesHighland ClearancesThe Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
. The glen is home to a great stock of wildlife including elusive Scottish Wildcat and CapercaillieCapercaillieThe Western Capercaillie , also known as the Wood Grouse, Heather Cock or Capercaillie , is the largest member of the grouse family, reaching over 100 cm in length and 6.7 kg in weight. The largest one ever recorded in captivity had a weight of 7.2 kg....
, Golden eagleGolden EagleThe Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
, BuzzardBuzzardA buzzard is one of several large birds, but there are a number of meanings as detailed below.-Old World:In the Old World Buzzard can mean:* One of several medium-sized, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings....
, Mountain HareMountain HareThe Mountain Hare , also known as Blue Hare, Tundra Hare, Variable Hare, White Hare, Alpine Hare and Irish Hare, is a hare, which is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats. It is distributed from Fennoscandia to eastern Siberia; in addition there are isolated populations in the Alps,...
, grouse and number of deer species. - Sput Rolla - A waterfall which breaks the River Lednock as it flows down from the mountains in Glen Lednock to the village.
- Lawers House - A grand estate home to the east of the village.
- St Kessog's Free Church of Scotland - A grand church built in 1879 which replaced the smaller Free Church (White Church)
- The White Church - Built in 1805 on the site of another ancient churchyard. The centrepiece of the village and a category A listed building. Now a community centre.
- Brough and Macpherson shop - A building re-designed by Charles Rennie MackintoshCharles Rennie MackintoshCharles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect, designer, watercolourist and artist. He was a designer in the Arts and Crafts movement and also the main representative of Art Nouveau in the United Kingdom. He had a considerable influence on European design...
in 1903 following a fire. - The House of Ross - A grand estate home constructed in 1908 in the 18th Century Scots vernacular style. The home is now subdivided into a number of separate dwellings. The estate grounds contain an extensive miniature railway which is opened to the public several times a year.
- Aberuchill Castle (Gaelic: Caisteal Obar Ruchaill) - A grand castle and estate home initially constructed in 1602 at the foot of the hills of Ruchill. The castle is now owned by Vladmir Lisin, a Russian industrialist and billionaire and according to Forbes magazine the richest man in Russia. The castle has played host to many infamous characters of Scottish and world fame historically and to the present day.
- DuniraDunira, PerthshireDurnira is an estate of about in Perthshire, Scotland, about north-west of the town of Comrie and about north-west of Stirling. The estate is set against a backdrop of mountains, hills and rich lush lowland. Dunira was the home of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, although the house he built...
Castle and estates - A grand estate and home west of the village.
Amenities
Comrie has a number of local amenities which include a primary school, a post office, two hotels ('The Comrie Hotel' and 'The Royal Hotel', both of which contain their own restaurant and bar), two small cafés (one of which is also the local fish and chip shop), a restaurant ('The Deil's Cauldron'), an independent petrol station and an independent public house (The Ancaster Arms).The Flambeaux Parade and Hogmanay Celebrations
Comrie has a unique and somewhat curious HogmanayHogmanay
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner...
ritual. Each Hogmanay, on the stroke of midnight, a torchlight procession marches through the village. Traditionally the procession involves the twelve strongest men of the village carrying long, thick birch poles, to which burning tarred rags are attached, to each of the four corners of the village. The procession is usually accompanied by the village pipe band
Pipe band
A pipe band is a musical ensemble consisting of pipers and drummers. The term used by military pipe bands, pipes and drums, is also common....
and villagers with floats and dressed in costume. After the procession the torches are thrown from the Dalginross Bridge into the River Earn. The precise origins of the ceremony are unclear. It is generally assumed to have pre-Christian Celtic or possibly Pictish roots and to be intended to cleanse the village of evil spirits in advance of the new year (albeit the new year
New Year
The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....
's commencing in January
January
January is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days. The first day of the month is known as New Year's Day...
is a relatively modern convention).
The spectacle attracts thousands of visitors from all around the world to the small highland village each Hogmanay
Hogmanay
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner...
. A countdown to midnight is usually held at Melville Square and after the processions people gather here again for traditional Scottish music and dancing. Drinking alcohol in the street is commonplace and tolerated. Parties in village homes are common and other Scottish Hogmanay
Hogmanay
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner...
traditions like first footing are also observed.
Comrie Fortnight
An annual two-week festival, called the Comrie Fortnight, is held in the village during July and August. The Comrie Fortnight started in the late 1960s and has evolved over the years, now consisting of a wide range of activities including competitions, outings, dances and a float parade. Profits from the Comrie Fortnight are used to support events and groups in the local community.Language
Today the principal languages of Comrie are English, GaelicScottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
and Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
.
Historically, Comrie and the surrounding area has been part of the Gàidhealtachd
Gàidhealtachd
The Gàidhealtachd , sometimes known as A' Ghàidhealtachd , usually refers to the Scottish highlands and islands, and especially the Scottish Gaelic culture of the area. The corresponding Irish word Gaeltacht however refers strictly to an Irish speaking area...
. Indeed, census data from 1891 estimates that 17.9% of the population of Comrie were native Gaelic speakers. As with the rest of Scotland however, the number of Gaelic speakers in Comrie has been steadily declining for some time. In 1901 only 8.3% of the population were native Gaelic speakers, while only 4.5% of the population had Gaelic as their sole language. The most recent census data for 2002 shows that only approximately 2% of the population are native Gaelic speakers.
The decline of Gaelic speakers in the area can be largely attributed to The Highland Clearances
Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
(Scottish Gaelic: Fuadach nan Gàidheal) in the 18th and 19th Century , which saw people in the smaller satellite settlements of the village (located in the surrounding mountains and glens) forcibly displaced from their homes, and many forced to emigrate to Canada, Australasia and North America. As with the rest of Scotland (excluding the North-west), Gaelic speakers have struggled to retain their language through the generations, though Comrie retains a larger than average number of speakers.
People
- Vladimir LisinVladimir LisinVladimir Lisin is a Russian steel tycoon. He is considered by Forbes magazine to be the richest man in Russia and 14th richest in the world. His estimated net worth is $24 billion.-Background:...
, the richest living Russian according to Forbes Magazine, owns and lives in Aberuchill Castle in Comrie. His internationally important guests have included the King of Spain. - Robert the Bruce, king of Scotland, the outlaw Rob Roy McGregor and Scotland's internationally renowned national poet Robert BurnsRobert BurnsRobert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
all mentioned their stays in the village in their writing, including in Burns' case time spent at Aberuchill Castle. - Mary Queen of Scots held Comrie and the surrounding woodlands as one of her favourite hunting grounds.
- Queen Victoria stayed in the Royal Hotel in Comrie.
- Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands visited the village between the two world wars and stayed at The Royal Hotel. Her signed portrait now hangs in The Principal Suite.