Long-gone little village

“A few months ago I appealed, through your column, for copies of paintings of the Muirton of Ardblair,” emails Margaret Laing.

“The response was very good indeed and the finished book looks super, with many paintings and photographs. The book tells the story of the long-gone little village, its folk and the surrounding area which is also rich in history.

“It will be on sale at Mitchell, Newsagent, High Street, Blairgowrie, where the book will be launched between l0am and noon on Saturday, December 2.

“I wish to thank those who helped to make the book so attractive with the fine photographs, paintings and little snippets of information. The title of the book is Muirton of Ardblair – The Lost Village and the Artists Who Keep the Memory Alive.

“There would have been other little communities like The Muirton dotted around Scotland but, thanks to the photographers and artists who painted this little village around the end of the 19th Century, it will live long in memory.” ‘the hills’ to avoid the violent rioting during Partition of the sub-continent.

“During 1948 a massive landslide at Sonada destroyed half a mile of Darjeeling Hill Railway track, resulting in the township becoming virtually cut off from the outside world. For some weeks, vital supplies were air-dropped from DC3 Dakota aircraft.

“All this was very exciting to us schoolboys who had, a short time before, experienced a significant earth tremor during a school performance of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

“Just as King Hamlet’s ghost (played by our senior master Mr Hammond) appeared, an overhead lantern in the hall started swaying violently, followed by all of us being ushered speedily out on to the school quad and to relative safety.”