The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Author builds picture of city’s historic past
perth: Town planner looks at how city’s built heritage has changed over the years
How the built heritage of Perth has changed over the years is examined in a new book about the city.
The author of a number of history books, town planner Jack Gillon uses old photographs alongside new pictures to illustrate the passing of the years in his book, Perth Through Time.
“Perth is an incredibly interesting place,” said Mr Gillon, 64, who lives and works in Edinburgh.
“I had only passed through Perth before, I really enjoyed putting the book together, it is always fascinating to discover a place.”
A collector of old postcards, he made many trips up to Perth to capture how the different street scenes look today and came to know the city well.
“Perth is central to Scotland and its history, and today is a charming historic city that retains much of its ancient character and architectural quality.
“Modern-day Perth is a thriving place,” writes Mr Gillon in the book.
“The location of Perth, at the lowest crossing point of the Tay, was fundamental to its development and it has been inhabited since prehistoric times.
“Its location close to Scone, with its royal connections, was an important factor in the growth of the settlement.
“It was the effective capital of Scotland until the mid-15th Century and an important religious centre.”
From those early beginnings he traces how the Fair City has changed and developed over the last century.
In many of the pictures it is surprising how many views remain largely unaltered, though the Waverley Hotel which was recently damaged by fire is seen in its heyday.
Some features, like the North Inch bandstand which was demolished in 1959, will only be remembered by a few while other pictures show how the park has long been the centre of sporting activity from cricket to golf and even horse racing.
Perth Through Time is published by Amberley Publishing.