Blairgowrie & Rattray Hub Magazine - Winter 2021

THE HILL KIRK GRAVEYARD
Kirk Wynd, Blairgowrie
The Neighbour Group, who voluntarily look
after the Hill Kirk Graveyard in Kirk Wynd,
are about to make the last cut and tidy up of
the grounds as it is currently mid October as
we pen this article. On this occasion the local
volunteers BRAN, who maintain the local
pathways so superbly, will be here to assist
on this final cut. They generously come up at
least three times during the growing period.
This is much appreciated.
With limited visits to this historic graveyard
this year due to Covid it has felt quieter this
summer. However, while mowing on a few
occasions, we met a number of newcomers
to the area who were just walking around,
getting to know Blairgowrie and Rattray.
The Graveyard takes its toll on the machinery,
due to the many bumps and lumps and a
number of “hidden” gravestones, all of which
challenge us. The Neighbourhood volunteers
have been allocated some monies to get
a much needed new lawnmower this year
and we will now be able to rotate the use
of the mowers, the first of which was kindly
donated by one of the neighbours.We are
very grateful to Samantha Stewart who did so
much work on our behalf to get this money.
Thank you Sam.
We are also planning some additional signage
around the Graveyard, supplementing the
main gate sign and the new Environmental /
The photo shows Autumn at the Kirk
Graveyard. This was provided by our
excellent local photographer Dave Gow.
Bat sign adjacent to the lower section of the
graveyard. A local businessman, Greg Crole,
of Crole Signs is kindly assisting with this
project. Thank you Greg.
Hopefully we will have signs showing the
detail of the oldest gravestone (1691) as
well as an acknowledgement of Sir William
Macpherson’s help at the start of the
Graveyard project. These will be erected on
the lower gates which lie very close to the
Macpherson Clan “lair”.
If anyone wishes to help this very small
group of volunteers NEXT summer, with
the mowing, once every 3 weeks or so, but
usually in a rota, please drop an email to
derekballoch@hotmail.co.uk……all help will be
gratefully appreciated.
CONSTABULARY DUTY TO BE DONE
By Alisdair Drummond, Retired Chief Inspector, Tayside Police and Perth & Kinross Constabulary
‘Tis the season to be jolly! Well, as old records
show, back at the beginning of the 20th
century a fair number of Blairgowrie folk
seemed to have been jolly all year round
or, in other words, drunk and incapable.
Surpassed only by Crieff, by far the biggest
proportion of arrests were due to the demon
drink. The Blairgowrie Police ‘drunk barrow’
which was specially made to carry the
inebriated who were picked up off the street,
was in constant use. With straps to secure a
recumbent body and narrow enough to get
through closes, it gave good service till the
1920s and when abandoned by the law it was
rather appropriately acquired by a local hotel
for carrying beer barrels.
History & Heritage
However, it wasn’t just the civilian population
who headed for the pubs when they got
their pay, because in 1849 a Perthshire
Police Sergeant and three of his men were
severely fined and reprimanded for drunken
behaviour. Between them they were reported
to have consumed such a vast amount of
spirits that the Sergeant was incapable of
signing the men’s daily reports. To compound
the offence, another of the drunken
foursome forged his signature and promptly
deserted the Force, taking with him a new
pair of uniform trousers. The Chief Constable
was determined to make an example of them
Page 16 BRDT Magazine - Winter 2021