Crieff and Strathearn Museum

15/06/2026

14/06/2026

Postcard of the Day: St. Fillans from S.E. No date

📷 Local & Family History Collection, AK Bell Library

08/06/2026

Our second talk is this Thursday evening 11 June 2026, doors open at 7pm for a 7:30pm start. Our speaker Colin Crawford will be looking at Community Football in Scotland and Strathearn and promises to be an interesting evening.
If you would like a ticket please contact [email protected]

05/06/2026

125 Years Ago: The Opening of Comrie’s Lednock Bridge

On 8th June 1901, the new road bridge across the River Lednock at the eastern entrance to Comrie was officially opened to traffic. Although built by the Caledonian Railway Company, the bridge was intended to replace the increasingly inadequate stone bridge that had served the village for more than a century.
Concerns over the condition and suitability of the old bridge had been raised repeatedly during the preceding years. One such discussion took place at a meeting of Perthshire County Council, as reported in the Strathearn Herald of 14th April 1894. During the meeting, Colonel Williamson highlighted the problems associated with the Lednock Bridge, noting that it had become the principal entrance to Comrie and that traffic had increased considerably since the arrival of the railway. With excursion traffic expected to grow further during the summer months, he argued that the bridge should be widened to accommodate the increased volume of vehicles.
The Council, however, took the view that the problem had been created by the railway itself. Rather than improving the bridge, members suggested that the Caledonian Railway Company should provide additional carriage accommodation within the station grounds, thereby removing vehicles from the bridge approaches. As one member bluntly observed, “if a problem existed, it had been caused by the railway and therefore the railway should pay for it!”
In The Railways of Upper Strathearn, Bernard Byrom describes the old bridge as a substantial three-arched stone structure dating from 1799. Despite its solid construction, it was only 15 feet wide and stood at an awkward angle to the roads on either side. Moreover, it had steep gradients on either side of its crown; a local newspaper correspondent commented that cyclists knew to make a spurt up one side and thank their fortune if, when they reached the crest, they were not pitched headlong among the 16 legs of the 4-horse St.Fillans coach” - operated by the Caledonian Railway Co. between Comrie and Lochearnhead (Balquhidder).
By 1899, the Caledonian Railway Company saw an opportunity to improve relations with Perthshire County Council while seeking approval for its proposed extension from Comrie to St Fillans. The company offered to construct a new bridge across the Lednock. Plans prepared by Messrs Crouch & Hogg, Consulting Engineers, dated 11th August 1899, were warmly received by the Council, which agreed to contribute £300 towards the project.
The proposed bridge represented a significant improvement. The western approach road was to be widened to 34 feet - more than double the width of the old bridge - while the eastern approach would be 56 feet wide and aligned directly with the station approach. A footpath along the south side would also provide a safer route for pedestrians and railway passengers.
Progress, however, was slower than anticipated. It was not until March 1901 that the Strathearn Herald reported that work had finally commenced. The edition of 23rd March informed readers that “operations in connection with the new bridge had just commenced, with workmen beginning to erect a wooden service bridge on the south side of the old stone bridge”, which was due to open to traffic in the first week of April. “The picturesque old span will disappear very shortly, making way for the girder bridge of our utilitarian age.”
By 6th April 1901, the temporary bridge was in use and demolition of the old stone bridge was underway.
The honour of opening the new bridge fell to Colonel Williamson of Lawers, who had played a leading role in bringing the railway to Comrie and owned much of the local area. On 8th June 1901 he formally inaugurated the crossing by driving across it in his pony and trap. Although the bridge was open to traffic, considerable work still remained before the project was fully completed.
Less than four months later, on 1st October 1901, the railway extension from Comrie to St Fillans was opened, marking another significant milestone in the transport history of Upper Strathearn.

The photos shows the view “Looking towards Drummond Street across the Lednock Bridge - as built by the Caledonian Railway Co., opened 1901 06 08 - Bernard Byrom

More information on Strathearn’s railways can be found on the Crieff Lines Raiways page.

03/06/2026

Our next talk is on 11 June2026 and doors open at 7:00pm ready for a 7:30 start.
If you would like a ticket please email [email protected]

Photo of the Vale football team in the 1930’s taken from The Strathearn Heralds Archive.

01/06/2026

Under the spotlight on staff relating to the local railways is Donald A. Matheson, M.Inst.C.E., who was born in Tulliallan, Perthshire, in 1860, although soon afterwards, his family moved to Perth, where he was educated at Perth Academy. In 1877, he entered the office of John Young, M.Inst.C.E., Perth, serving as his pupil until 1881.
Following this, Donald continued his studies at the Watt College, Edinburgh, and Owens College, Manchester, while gaining practical engineering experience. He worked as an Engineering Assistant on the construction of the Edinburgh Suburban Railway, later serving on the engineering staff of the London & North Western Railway Co. at Manchester, and subsequently acted as Contractor’s Resident Engineer and Agent during the construction of the Lanarkshire & Ayrshire Railway.
Donald was then engaged for approximately five years as Resident Engineer on the construction of the 5-mile-long Glasgow Central Underground Railway – much of which survives today as “the Argyle Line” - on behalf of the Caledonian Railway Company. Upon completion of the project in 1896, he was appointed Divisional Engineer for the Western Division of the Caledonian Railway. At this time, he resided at 40 Craigmaddie Terrace, Sandyford, Glasgow, close to Stobcross Station.*
Following the retirement of George Graham, M.Inst.C.E., in 1899, Donald was appointed Engineer-in-Chief of the Caledonian Railway Company. His first major responsibility was overseeing the enlargement of Glasgow Central Station, during which the station was more than doubled in size. He designed the celebrated station concourse, as well as the new bridge carrying the railway across the River Clyde.
In 1903, the Caledonian Railway directors sent Donald to the United States and Canada to study contemporary railway engineering methods. At that time, he was recorded as living at 314 Buchanan Street, Glasgow,* although by 1912 he was noted as residing at 302 Buchanan Street.*
When Guy Calthrop retired as General Manager of the Caledonian Railway Company at the end of September 1910, Donald was chosen by the directors to succeed him, assuming the position on 1st October 1910.*
Donald was also the driving force behind the conception of the Gleneagles Hotel scheme. According to the Strathearn Herald, during a holiday in his native Perthshire in 1910, he conceived the idea of establishing “a Georgian hotel or country house, built in the style of a palace, to attract and cater for the British travelling class” near Crieff Junction. The resulting Gleneagles Hotel opened on 5th June 1924.
Donald retired as General Manager of the London, Midland and Scottish (LMS) Railway Company on 31st December 1926.*
Unfortunately, tragedy struck the following year when his only son, Donald Stuart Matheson, B.Sc., Student Inst.C.E., died on 24th June 1927, at the age of 26, while resident in a nursing home in Harrogate.
Donald A. Matheson died on 10th December 1935 at the age of 75.*
*Caledonian Railway Association Staff Register

More information on the railways of Strathearn can be found on the Crieff Lines Railways page.

31/05/2026

Postcard of the Day: Crieff from The Knock. No date for this postcard, but if you have an idea, pop it in the comments below. 👇

📷 Local & Family History Collection, AK Bell Library

30/05/2026

This map shows Scotland in 1066!

This was during the reign of Malcolm III (known as Canmore, meaning ‘bighead’ or ‘great chief’). Malcolm III ruled for 35 years, and during his reign, William the Conqueror invaded England, bringing with him Norman families, who soon also penetrated Scotland.

We explore more here: https://www.discoverbritain.com/history/icons/the-real-macbeth/

Photo credit: Historical Images Archive / Alamy

30/05/2026

29/05/2026

Postcard of the Day: Crieff, East High Street, from around 1913.

📷 Local & Family History Collection, AK Bell Library