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The Battle of the Clans
1000-1603 AD

The Battle of the Clans

The staging of the battle of the clans in 1396 on the North Inch was an attempt by King Robert III t to find a solution to a long running feud between Clan Chatton and Clan Kay. Thirty warriors from each clan were to do battle to resolve the dispute. One of Clan Chattan’s men fled before the battle began and Hal O the Wynd was drafted in to even up the numbers. Clan Chattan were victorious in no small part due to the efforts of Hal O the Wynd.

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26/11/2023
The Fair Maid’s House in North Port
Literature

The Fair Maid’s House in North Port

The house was chosen by Sir Walter Scott as the home of Catherine Glover, the heroine in his 1828 novel “The Fair Maid of Perth”. Scott had been shown round the oldest parts of Perth in his search for an authentic setting for his novel. In a similar fashion to his choice of the Hal O The Wynd house the story pre-dates the buildings. Some of the walls date from 1475 but most are from 1629 and the whole building was extensively renovated in 1893-4. For 150 years it was the meeting place of the Glovers Incorporation of Perth. It now…

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26/11/2023
Hal O the Wynd House in Mill Wynd
Literature

Hal O the Wynd House in Mill Wynd

The naming of this building is entirely due to Sir Walter Scott. He named the house in Mill Wynd on a visit to Perth to find material to provide an apparently authentic background for his novel ”Fair Maid of Perth”. The building dates from 1774, so clearly did not exist in the time of Hal O the Wynd. It was originally used as a warehouse and factory. (Hunter, T., Perth Weavers and Weavers, 1936, p91 & p48) Scott similarly attributed the Fair Maid’s House to the Glover Family The legendary figure of Hal O The Wynd, whose actual name was believed…

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26/11/2023
Kinnoull Burial Ground
Literature / Religious

Kinnoull Burial Ground

An excellent information board on the wall outside Kinnoull Burial Ground describes many of the most important headstones and descibes the history of the graveyard and Kinnoull Church. The headstone for George Gray Millias, the son of Sir John Everett Millias Bart. P.R.A. and his wife Effie Chalmers Gray is situated within this graveyard. Effie Gray is also recorded on the headstone. She was the first wife of John Ruskin. See also Bowerswell House - Effie Gray. The graveyard also contains a number of very old gravestones showing various crafts and occupations. There is a particularly large stone depicting a…

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20/11/2023
Bowerswell House – Effie Gray
Literature

Bowerswell House – Effie Gray

Bowerswell House, now part of Bowersell Memorial Homes, was the home of the Gray family whose daughter Effie Gray was married initially to John Ruskin, the influential art critic. Following her divorce, she married the pre-Raphaelite artist John Everett Millias. There are reproductions of some of Ruskin’s paintings with explanatory text in the dining room which is occasionally open to the public on Doors Open Days. The refurbishment of the House and its surroundings in 1991 are remembered in further plaques and there is a framed award by Perth Civic Trust. See also Bowerswell House War Memorials.

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20/11/2023
John Ruskin boyhood home in Rose Terrace
Literature

John Ruskin boyhood home in Rose Terrace

There is a plaque in Rose Terrace recording the home of Mrs. Richardson, an aunt of John Ruskin, the influential art critic. Ruskin describes spending  boyhood holidays in Perth. (Praeterita,1885-1889, Ruskin. J. pp53-60. Rupert Hart-Davies, London, 1949).

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20/11/2023
John Buchan House in York Place
Literature

John Buchan House in York Place

John Buchan was born in 1875 at 20 York Place in Perth where his father was a minister. He became an author, best known for his novels “The Thirty-Nine Steps” and “Greenmantle”. He was member of Parliament for the Combined Scottish Universities. Later he was created Lord Tweedsmuir when appointed Governor  General of Canada.

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20/11/2023
Cunningham Graham Close, High Street
1603-1774 AD

Cunningham Graham Close, High Street

Bearing the date 1699 on the lintel, Cunningham Graham Close at 13-17 High Street is said to be the oldest continually inhabited building in Perth. The building is three storeys and an attic. A monogram with the carving "RG, EC" and its year of construction is located above the entrance to the close. These initials refer to Robert Graham and Elspeth Cunningham, for whom the building is named. It was restored in 2015-2016. The project was carried out by the Owners’ Association with the support and encouragement of both Perth and Kinross Council officers and Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust through…

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19/11/2023
Fountain Close, the Vennels of South Street
Commerce

Fountain Close, the Vennels of South Street

Fountain Close is at 17 South Street on its north side. Until 2022, painted on the whitewashed walls were 14 descriptions of the old vennels of Perth and their relationship to the old Guilds of Perth with emblems of the Guilds. The descriptions were painted directly on to the walls. It is believed the images were painted by pupils of Kinnoull School under the guidance of Miss Rhoda Fothergill. They have now all been whitewashed over as can be seen in the first photo. The remainder of the photographs were taken in 2018 and 2019. Also shown is part of a…

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19/11/2023
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