Donald’s local guide is full of Carse Curiosities
Historic castles, grand country houses and village churches in the Carse of Gowrie are explored in a new booklet from The Friends of Perth and Kinross Archive.
Donald Abbott - honorary and founding chairman of the Friends of Perth and Kinross Archive - has written ‘Curiosities of the Carse of Gowrie’.
And its 44 pages have been crammed full of fascinating old photographs and postcards expertly sourced by the booklet’s editor, Prue Dowie.
The images were taken mainly from Perth Museum and Art Gallery’s online collection database (well worth a look at http://collectionsearch.pkc. gov.uk/search.aspx) and the author’s private collection of late 19th century and early 20th century postcards .
Donald, who lives in Invergowrie, told the PA: “Curiosities of the Carse of Gowrie is essentially a perambulation from Perth to Dundee via the Carse of Gowrie and its braes, with emphasis on the various historic castles, mansion houses, churches and bonnie villages.”
He’s not the first to make the trip: back in 1939 ‘The Fair Land of Gowrie’ by Lawrence Melville gave a very descriptive take on the features of the area.
“My contribution is tiny by comparison,” said Donald modestly. “The Curiosities book is just a little booklet, but I think having brought the reader up to date, people will enjoy it and come and take a look for themselves.”
Friends of Perth and Kinross Archive will benefit from sales of the Curiosities book.
Donald said: “The archive, with its magnificent collection of local and family history related material, is very popular with locals and visitors from overseas and is staffed by excellent, hardworking and helpful professional staff.
“It is supported by an interested group of people from throughout Perthshire and Kinross, known as the Friends of Perth and Kinross Archive, some of whom work as volunteers.”
Stereoscopic view of the River Tay The friends sponsor regular talks ‘Curiosities of the Carse of Gowrie’ by historians about topics relevant to is available to purchase from Perth the area and their members enjoy a and Kinross Archive, on the first floor regular newsletter and annual outing of the AK Bell Library (closed Sunday to a local place of interest such as Blair and Monday) and costs £5. Further Castle, Kinross House, Castle Menzies information about the Archive and and the historic Innerpeffray Library the Friends is available at http:// and chapel. www.culturepk.org.uk/archive-localfamily-history/