Upcoming events are listed here with past events archived below. Please note that walks are now on the Walks page.

Life in Medieval Perth – see Walks

The Development of Churches in Perth

Thursday 5th June at 19.30 in the Soutar Theatre at the A K Bell Library in Perth.

An illustrated talk by Allan T Condie.

Perth still has many churches but some some are now in secular use and others have disappeared. Author and publisher Allan T. Condie will take a journey through the history of many of these buildings.

But, to begin that journey we need to look outside the City into the County to understand architectural styles, church plans, and the origins of Christianity in the area, then move to the Burgh Kirk of St. John the Baptist, the reformation and its effects, and the growth of the City in the 19th century which demanded the provision of more church buildings, which sadly multiplied due to the divisions within the established church. Famous Scottish Architects were engaged to design these buildings, some by competition and their work in the City along with any important connections will also be covered.

The evening is open to PCT Members and to the general public on a first come, first served basis.

You can book in advance now at Perthshire Box Office Tickets cost £4 for members or £7 for non-members (includes £1 booking fee).

Remaining seats will be sold at the door for £3 for members or £6 for non-members. CASH SALES ONLY (no cards).

Downloadable flyer:

Church Talk 5.6.25 Download

Past Events

AGM 2025

Thursday 1st May 2025 at 18.45 in the Soutar Theatre at the A K Bell Library in Perth.

The AGM was followed immediately by …

The Development of Railways in Perth

Thursday 1st May 2025 at 19.30 in the Soutar Theatre at the A K Bell Library in Perth.

Since taking a summer job with British Rail after graduating from Aberdeen University in 1986, Neale Elder has been
involved in the railway service ever since and is currently Mobile Operations Manager for Network Rail.

Using his extensive knowledge and experience Neale took us on a journey of how railways developed in Perth,
looking at the early companies which all converged, almost simultaneously, upon the city, with different intentions,
proposed routes and destinations, highlighting how these conflicting interests all came together and the major
engineering works necessary to facilitate this, such as the Moncreiffe tunnel and the Tay viaduct. The development of the
General station was examined and how it linked to other railway facilities in Perth, including the inter-war
establishment of Perth as a stronghold of the London, Midland & Scottish Railway with its huge locomotive depot.

Neale took us through the post WW2 development of the British Transport Commission Modernisation Plan, which
saw the appearance of Perth’s power signal box (still operational today after 63 years) and the marshalling yards (which
unfortunately failed to meet expectations after almost immediately succumbing to the changes under Dr Beeching) and
how things developed thereafter. Neale also provided some personal accounts of the more recent development of the
railways during his working life on the railways since 1986.

Tickets cost £3.30 for Members of Perth Civic Trust, £6.60 for Non-Members (included 10% booking fee).

Some photos of the AGM and talk by Roben Antoniewicz and Mike Bell.

Downloadable flyer

Railway talk 1 May Download

AGM 2024

Saturday 12th October 2024 at 10.30am in the Soutar Theatre at the A K Bell Library in Perth.

Agenda

1. Welcome to all Members and visitors to the meeting.
2. To note Apologies, as received.
3. To note the Minute of the 2023 AGM. Link: 2023 AGM minutes
4. To receive the Chairman’s Report and update of the Forward Plan.
5. To receive the Financial Report of Perth Civic Trust for the year to 31 March 2024.
6. The Chairman, was appointed for three years in 2022 and has a further year to serve. The Constitution currently notes that the Chairman is not eligible to be re-appointed beyond this period
7. To receive a recommendation and agree an amendment to item 30 of the Constitution removing the non-eligibility of the Chairman to being re-appointed following an initial three year appointment.
8. The Treasurer and Secretary were appointed for one year. The Treasurer is standing down after 20 years of services. The Secretary is eligible to be re-appointed for a further year.
9. To receive nominations and appoint members of the Executive Committee of Perth Civic Trust.
10. To consider any other competent business.

After the formal business there was a presentation by PCT Secretary, Ian Cameron:
Perth’s Listed Buildings – How many are you aware of?
Perth has a considerable number of Listed Buildings. Walking the streets, would you know which ones they are?
Who decides on listing buildings. How many categories are there? How many Listed Buildings are there in Perth? Where are they?
Just some of the questions that Ian answered in a brief journey through Perth’s streets.

You can download Ian’s talk slides and notes:

AGM Talk Slides 1 2 Download

AGM Talk Slide Notes Download

Exhibition of Photographic Memories of Perth

A K Bell Library 21st August – 10th September 2024.

Following our successful event on June 5th, Perth Civic Trust exhibited 20 pairs of photographs of Perth in the A K Bell Library from Wednesday August 21st to Tuesday September 10th 2024. Each pair consisted of a historical view and the same view taken in 2024. The dates of the historical photographs ranged from 1908 to the 1980s. Fifteen were by Dr W H Findlay, an eminent physician and photographer in Perth during the latter half of the twentieth century. The exhibition was free and open whenever the library was open.

Development of Public Transport in Perth – August 2024

Perth Civic Trust hosted a talk on the Development of Public Transport in Perth on Wednesday 21st of August 2024, from 7.30pm at The Soutar Theatre, A K Bell Library, York Place, Perth.

Transport expert, author and publisher of a wide range books on a variety of vehicles, Allan T Condie took us on a journey on how both Perth and Public Transport developed to meet the needs of an expanding and more mobile population, from foot and pedal power, to horse drawn buses and trams, electrification and the introduction of the internal combustion engine and how these transport systems were operated from the 1860’s until the 1970’s.

As well as the vehicles and systems, there was a glimpse “out the window” at how Perth was developing along some of the routes that may well still be familiar today. Allan identified many of Perth’s finest buildings captured in his extensive library of transport images.

Allan’s notes: The City and Royal Burgh of Perth was once described as ‘lying between two Inches’ and where ‘the people live by dying’. As a crossing point on the River Tay the town grew in importance from the middle ages to a major agricultural and industrial centre by the end of the nineteenth century.
As well as being an important railway town, other manufacturing interests in Perth covered linen weaving, glassware, dry cleaning, carpet manufacture, a thriving port despite being 22 miles from the sea, and the headquarters of General Accident, the worldwide insurance company. Lack of public transport from the residential suburb of Cherrybank to New Scone, a village to the north east of Perth had expanded as a dormitory suburb of Perth in the late nineteenth century, brought about the operation of horse buses between Scone and Perth in the 1860s. A Horse tramway opened in September 1895 between Scone and Rose Crescent on the Glasgow Road.

Other extensions ran from the Cross to the residential area of Craigie, opened in 1897 and Cherrybank later the same year. The
Cherrybank to Scone service was to remain the most prominent of all Perth’s City routes until Scotmap wiped it away in the
1980s. The system was electrified after takeover by the Corporation in 1903, the first electric cars running in 1905 with the extension to Dunkeld Road being completed for electric traction. The trams were replaced by Corporation buses, the last car running on 19th January 1929.

Between the wars slum clearance housing was built at Friarton, Muirton, and Hunter Crescent, and these estates featured in the
bus services provided. Post-war development at Letham, Darnhall, and Moncrieffe necessitated alterations to existing services
and creation of new ones.

The deficit left by the trams continued to be a burden to the Council and in 1933 negotiations were commenced with regard to
the takeover of the Corporation’s bus services by Alexanders. There were a number of precedents for this action; Perth was now
the only Burgh outside the ‘big four’ cities to operate its own buses. The matter occupied the Council and its transport committee
for some time and the final proposals were put to a full meeting of the Town Council in April 1934. There had been considerable
correspondence in the “Perthshire Advertiser” and the “Dundee Courier” regarding the takeover. Some 4288 ratepayers signed a
petition against the sale, and a protest took place outside the City Chambers on the night of the crucial vote on 29th May 1934.
Scuffles occurred and the police drew their batons – however the resolution was passed and that was that!

The presentation will look at Perth from the Horse Tramway days into the 1970s showing not only the vehicles operated but
views of Perth’s streets in these earlier times reminding us of businesses, buildings and other features that are now past history.

Photographic Memories of Perth – June 2024

Held in Willows, 14 St John’s Place, Perth PH1 5SZ at 6.30pm on 5th June 2024

Perth Civic Trust hosted an evening of photographic memories of Perth City on Wednesday 5th June 2024, between 6.30 and 8.30pm at Willows, St John’s Place, Perth. The evening was free of charge with refreshments available to purchase throughout the evening. We would like to thank Willows for allowing us to use their restaurant premises.

The event was informal with interaction to share memories being encouraged between those attending. Some of the images submitted, along with those from public and private collections were displayed on a screen or available as prints to be examined around the venue.

Printable flyer:

Photographic-Memories-of-Perth Download

Event photo gallery

Some of the images shown on the night

The Perthshire Advertiser published a double-page spread on the the event on 18th June 2024.

AGM 2023 – October 2023

HELD ON SATURDAY 28 OCTOBER 2023 AT 10.30AM IN THE SOUTAR THEATRE
A K BELL LIBRARY, YORK PLACE, PERTH. PH2 8EP

Agenda

1. Welcome to all Members and visitors to the meeting.
2. To note Apologies, as received (e.g. by reply to this email)
3. To note the Minute of the 2022 AGM.
4. To receive the Chairman’s Report and update of the Forward Plan.
5. To receive the Financial Report of Perth Civic Trust for the year to 31 March 2023.
6. The Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary were appointed in 2022 and have a further year to serve.
7. To receive nominations and appoint members of the Executive Committee of Perth Civic Trust.
8. To receive a recommendation and agree the subscription for the year beginning 1 April 2024.
9. To consider any other competent business.
There were two short presentations. Roben Antoniewicz spoke about our plans for new blue plaques and Mike Bell on how to find the plaques on our web site, how they are grouped and what further developments are being proposed.
Jill McGrath, CEO for the YMCA presented “New Life for Old Church”, an illustrated update on the progress of the conversion of the former St Andrew’s Church in Atholl Street to form the new Y Centre for the YMCA.

You can read the Minutes and view the three presentations by Roben Antoniewicz, Mike Bell and Jill McGrath below. These may take some time to appear as they are large files. Some browsers may not display the files at all but download links are provided. They are large downloads, please be patient.

Minutes (pdf)

PCT-AGM-2023-Minute Download

Blue plaques proposals by Roben Antoniewicz (pdf)

PCT-blue-heritage-plaques-AGM-2 Download

Plaque documentation project by Mike Bell (pptx)

PCT-plaque_documentationAGM-2023 Download

New Life for Old Church by Jill McGrath (pptx)

Civic-Trust-YMCA-Overview Download

YMCA Centre progress video (mp4)

Y-Centre-Progress-Oct-23-New-Edit Download

AGM 2023 gallery

PERTH CIVIC TRUST SPRING LECTURE – May 2023

Proposed Map of Historic Perth – An Update

Saturday 13th May 2023 at 10.30am

Our new lecture series of 2023 started with a talk in the Soutar Theatre at the A K Bell Library.

After an introduction by our Chairman Willie Wilson, we were given an update on a very exciting project that is being taken forward by the Perth Society of Natural Science in conjunction with the Historic Towns Trust, together with members of Perth Civic Trust to provide a map of Historic Perth with buildings and locations of particular interest highlighted upon it. It is the intention that this will subsequently be accompanied by a more detailed atlas produced from the information gathered initially to produce the map, which is the current focus.

Copies of previous maps produced by the Historic Towns Trust were on display at the meeting. John Jessop from Perthshire Society of Natural Science and John Moore from the Historic Towns Trust provided background on the project and updated us on current progress.

AGM 2022 – September 2022

This was held at 11.00am on 24th September 2022 in the Threshold Hall of St John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Princes St, Perth PH2 8LJ.