Strathblane in World War Two Read the new illustrated essay here https://www.strathblaneheritage.org/the-second-world-war/
The Home Front
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Jane Parfitt
The Strathblane Seven -Added to the Website
Go to Illustrated Essays to read the life and war stories of seven local men who perished in the Second World War. World War Two – The Strathblane Seven
World War Two – The Strathblane Seven
Stories of the Fallen INDEX James Callander GNR Royal Artillery Daniel Davidson LAC Royal Air Force Andrew M Maclean Lt Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Archibald MacNicol SPR Royal Engineers Gilbert McKay P/O Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Richard RN Pedder Lieut Col...
New on the Website – Slavery
How is Strathblane linked to Black slavery? More than we might think. A new article has been added to Illustrated Essays on the website. Slavery
More Toys at the library
On February 20th February 2025, members of the committee and two Strathblane Heritage members set up another mini pop-up museum in the Thomas Graham Community Library. This time they were there to show off the toys they played with as children to all the P1 -3...
AGM 2025
WW2 group The AGM of Strathblane Heritage Society will take place at the Village Club, Strathblane on Monday 17th March at 7:30 pm. We will be sharing our activities of 2024 to 2025 with our current membership of 112. We have begun fundraising for a Heritage Trail and...
The Hugh Macarthur Postcard Collection
This collection of vintage postcards has been moved to a new folder to allow everyone to see both sides of the postcards. Pore over the pictures to see how Strathblane, Blanefield and the surrounding area has changed over the years, and read the written greetings....
Groome’s Gazetteer added to Resources
Groome’s Gazetteer of Scotland offers a snapshot of Strathblane in 1884, at which point the valley contained “an ex-quisite assemblage of mansions, lakes, woods, and luxuriant corn fields”, according to the author. Read the entry for Strathblane here Groome’s...
Fun at the Christmas Fair
Here we are manning our stall at Strathblane Primary School on 6th December. There was a great atmosphere in the school hall and we enjoyed talking to our customers about Strathblane Heritage and our activities. Through the sales of cards, books and tea towels we...
Save the Date -School Christmas Fair, Fri 6th December 6-8pm
Perfect Christmas Gifts For Sale We will have our heritage map tea towels and our greetings cards for sale at the Strathblane Primary School Christmas Fair on Friday 6th December from 6 - 8pm. Tea towels are only £8 each. A pack of 6 different cards is £6, or grab a...
Historic Environment Scotland – The Archives
A Treasure Trove of Scottish Resources Kirkhouse Inn and Farm and the Blane Valley Railway crossing the A81. July 1952. National Collection of Aerial Photography If you didn’t know your SCRAN from your NCAP, or your Canmore from your HES…….then you sure will now if...
Remembrance Sunday
On Remembrance Sunday, Strathblane Heritage co-chair Anne Balfour gave a talk at the service held at the parish church about seven local men who lost their lives in World War Two and whose stories are currently being researched by a group of our members. One...
The Call of the Campsies
We’ve uploaded a link to a lovely little 10 minute film called The Call of the Campsies, shot in 1946 and featuring a jolly group of lads and lassies walking out from Milngavie to climb to the Earl’s Seat. With thanks to the Moving Image Archive of the National...
Carbeth, additions to the Illustrated Essay
In October, author and broadcaster Lesley Riddoch gave a talk to members about the hutting movement in Scotland and Norway. Following this very well-received talk, extra material has been added to the website piece about...
Childhood in Strathblane – Facts and Photographs from our Website
Strathblane's P5 Class Delve into the Lives of Strathblane’s Children in the Past How much did an eight-year-old at Blanefield Printworks earn per week in the 1820s? Answer: two shillings. P5 pupils at Strathblane Primary School are all agreed: they would rather be...
A Visitor from Vermont
Making Connections Strathblane Heritage Website Contact Form We regularly receive messages through the website, some are offering information and some are asking for information and we try to help where we can, within the limits of our small committee. We were excited...
A Well Deserved Award
Anne Balfour - Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution The British Association for Local History offers an annual award for an outstanding individual contribution from a member of a local history society. In December 2023 a group of Strathblane Heritage members...
New Slider Pictures Added to the Gallery
New slider pictures of Duntreath and Craigend Castle haver been added to the gallery on the website. Now and Then “Slider” Photos
NOT JUST A TEA TOWEL!!
Only £8 Our new map teatowel was launched at the Heritage Meeting on Monday 16th September. You can buy one now from the Thomas Graham Community Library. Older Strathblane residents may remember (and indeed still consult) the handy teatowel produced by Strathblane...
An item not to be sneezed at?
In 1812, a ram's head snuff mull, similar to the one pictured, was donated by Archibald Edmonstone of Spittal to a charity to help deserving people who had fallen on hard times. It bore the inscription: “Presented to the Stirlingshire Charitable Society by Archibald...
The Fascinating History of Blanefield Smithy
Anne Balfour has been busy this summer, researching and writing new items for our Illustrated Essays. Click the link to read all about the Blanefield Smithy. Blanefield Smithy The Smithy, Blanefield The postcard image above is one chosen for our set of 6 fund-raising...
17th and 18th Century Tax Records for Strathblane added to our Resources.
These fascinating records have been added to our Resources Farm Horse Tax Rolls for Strathblane, 1797-1798 A tax on farm horses was imposed in Scotland in 1797 to raise money to support the army and navy during the French Revolutionary Wars. In Strathblane inspectors...
Toys Galore
At the end of March a group of Strathblane Heritage members set up a mini pop-up museum in the Thomas Graham Community Library. They were there to show off the toys they played with as children to the pupils of P4 from Strathblane Primary School. After an introduction...
Website Quiz Winners
The winners of our Website Prize Quiz were announced at or AGM on Monday 19th March. Congratulations are due to all those who completed the quiz. We hope you enjoyed exploring the website to find the answers. Three people tied for first place, each with a magnificent...
Second World War Project Launched
The Second World War Group of Volunteer Researchers Strathblane Heritage has launched a project to research the lives of the community’s Second World War heroes. The names of six of them appear on the local War Memorial, but little is known about their lives or...
Hot Off the Press
Strathblane Heritage have launched a range of Notelet Cards and Postcards as part of a new fund raising enterprise. They will be for sale at our AGM on 18th March and thereafter at the Thomas Graham Community Library in Strathblane. We are very grateful for the...
Website Prize Quiz
The quiz was launched at our meeting on Monday 19th February. There are 20 questions in the quiz. Find all the answers somewhere on our website: www.strathblaneheritage.org Return your sheets with your answers to Strathblane Library by 5pm on Friday 1 March. A list of...
First Edition of Guthrie Smith’s Book Donated to Strathblane Heritage
We are delighted to announce that a rare first edition copy of The History of the Parish of Strathblane by John Guthrie Smith has been donated to Strathblane Heritage. Though published in 1886, it remains the go-to source for local historians. The initial print run...
Dumbrock Works
Members of the Muir family in their garden at 27 Glasgow Road, showing the chimney and part of the Dumbrock works in the background. The illustrated essay Dumbrock Mills and Bleachfields has been extended to include the Dumbrock Works. Dumbrock Mills and Bleachfields
Summer Knickers – A New Addition to the Website
Memoir Summer Knickers – a Scottish Wartime Childhood by Sarah Paton Wiseman A chance conversation at a party in January 2024 was behind the latest great addition to the Reminiscences section of Strathblane Heritage. That’s how co-chair Anne Balfour heard about an...
Village Joiner Andrew Scott’s family – did you know them?
Thanks to the people who responded, we've been able to send Fiona more information about her ancestor. We have received this enquiry on the website. My great uncle was Andrew Scott, a joiner with a workshop in Strathblane. He was born 1881 and married Anne Death in...
Chalking up a Century!
We welcomed our 100th member at our last meeting on November 20! Carol Craig, of Dumbrock Road signed up to join our swelling ranks. It’s wonderful to know that so many people are enjoying our presentations and our website.
New Talk Added for our February Meeting
Fig 19. The keep at Duntreath dates from the 15th century Due to a change of programme our meeting on 19th February will be "The History of Duntreath Castle and Estate" More information here :Events
Water of Life – 160 Years of Water to Glasgow
Katy Lamb and Roger Doubal - 20 November 2023 The Victorian engineering marvel that is the Loch Katrine water supply system for Glasgow was unfolded at our last meeting on November 20. Katy Lamb and Roger Doubal made the trip over from Kinlochard Local History Group...
Fundraising Success
The draw for the framed £100 note took place at the Village Club on Monday 20th November at the end of a packed-out meeting. David and Mary Frood, who donated the £100 note helped to draw the winning number tiles. The winer of the framed £100 note held the number 76....
Explore the Website at the Library
Strathblane Heritage and the Thomas Graham Library jointly invite you to a free session to explore this Strathblane Heritage website The Thomas Graham Library Saturday 4th November 10am - 12noon Come along to the library at 10am for a short presentation on how...
Prize Draw for £100 note
To enter our prize draw come along to one of our meetings, or contact us through this website, and buy one or more of 100 numbered squares for £5 a square. The star prize is the £100 note and there will be another £100 worth of other prizes. Jim Neill has been having...
Our Class Photos from the Old School
Here are some wonderful class photographs sent to us for the website, with the contributor's comments below each. We won't be posting full lists of the pupils with each each picture, but some comments identify the contributor's family members in the older photos. Do...
Our Memories of the Old School
In July 2023 we posted on the local Strathblanefield FACEBOOK group asking people to share their memories of the old school. Here are some of the responses: It’s so nice to create a bit of history about the old school. I was only there my first two years of school...
School (1716 – 1966)
Though the first Strathblane parish schoolmaster was appointed in 1716, it was many years before the school was housed in a permanent schoolhouse. This was finally built in 1781 at Thorn of Cuilt, at Netherton, which is the area now known as Blanefield. This...
Ladies Scottish Climbing Club (1958)
The Ladies Scottish Climbing Club was founded in 1908, by these three women, at a boulder near the Lix Toll in Perthshire. https://www.ladiesscottishclimbingclub.org/history/ At our vintage film night in January 2023 we showed a film made in 1958 to commemorate the...
The Call of the Campsies (1946)
The Campsies have a special place in the hearts of many and not only in the villages that fringe them. For Scots flying back into Glasgow Airport, the familiar silhouette of Dumgoyne means “I’m coming home!”. For many Glaswegians, they are the nearest place for a...
The Campsies and the Land of Lennox by Iain C Lees (1933)
Extracts from The Campsies and the Land of Lennox by Iain C Lees, describing walks around Strathblane. (Blackie & Sons, Glasgow, 1933) Secrets of the Campsie Fells The rich valley of the Blane, which can be traced to its junction with Strathendrick, is the finest...
Local Hero: Private James Norval Paul MM & Bar
On 2 May 1919 the people of Strathblane gathered to honour a local hero. They presented an inscribed gold watch to local gamekeeper James Norval Paul “in recognition of his gallantry”. Around 115,000 non-commissioned men who fought in the First World War were...