Science society hosting events to mark its 150th
Doors Open Day offers many intriguing insights to the Fair City’s historic and modern buildings in the third weekend of public access events put on by Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust.
While you could go through the doors of the Soutar House, in Craigie, or see over St John’s R C Church in Melville Street, not all venues involve going inside a building interior.
Many have glimpsed the leaning gravestones and iron gates of Greyfriars burial ground , but few know the bigger picture.
Tomorrow (Saturday), as part of Doors Open Day in Perth, there will be two guided tours of Greyfriars that will reveal many of the kirkyard’s secrets.
Greyfriars became the burgh’s burial ground in 1580 because St John’s kirkyard was full. It had previously been the site of the Franciscan Friary, founded by 1496 and dissolved in 1559.
In the city centre burial ground there is a group of 18th century stones, with traditional winged souls, hourglasses and skulls and crossbones.
Archaeologist David Bowler will give a tour at 12 noon and another at 2pm, from St John’s Episcopal Church on Princes Street. Perthshire Society of Natural Science (PSNS) has a number of special events to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its founding.
Just opened in Perth Museum is ‘The Study of Nature’, an exhibition on the history of the society, running up to November 4.
Museum visitors will be able to see many of the original specimens and artefacts collected by PSNS.
From tomorrow until the end of September the Photography Society has an exhibition in the newly renovated Civic Hall at 2 High Street.
This will feature some original Magnus Jackson prints from the 1860s, some of Dr Findlay’s work from the 1960s and, of course, some modern work by the society’s members.
On September 22, PSNS has invited the famous Scottish Photographer, Colin Prior, to speak about his work.
A talk, entitled “The Living Mountain”, will take place in St Matthews Church on Tay Street. Colin is one of the best known landscape photographers in Scotland, with his calendars in Waterstones and prettywell every bookshop and souvenir shop in Scotland.
The talk will feature Colin’s wonderful landscape photographs from Scotland and further afield.
And finally, a special guest, someone who embodies the idea of a “Curious Mind”, is Dame Evelyn Glennie.
She has agreed to come to Perth for an evening of conversation on October 4 and will talk about how she has overcome profound deafness to become one of the World’s leading musicians.
This isn’t a concert, but she will bring some of her instruments and perform some demonstration pieces.
The event will be moderated by James Waters, of Horsecross, and the audience will be able to ask questions and join in the conversation.
The society’s Tom Ryan said: “This is a first for PSNS and a ‘one of a kind’ event for Perth. It should be a really fascinating evening.” Greyfriars burial ground Members getting ready for the anniversary celebrations
Picture: Ivy May McIntosh