An ancient royal burgh within the historic County of Perth, Dunblane stands on the banks of the Allan Water and is dominated by the striking cathedral in the centre. The most famous resident of recent times is the legendary tennis player Andy Murray, whose long career is currently drawing to a close. By far the most successful British competitor of the modern era, Murray has three Grand Slam titles and two Olympic gold medals to his name. Nicole and I enjoy a walk along the river here now and again, where a dipper can sometimes be seen flying from one rock to the next. Today I made a solo trip up the M9 and parked right next to the fabulous church, much of which dates back to the 13th century.
Yes, I did purposely type the word church. Pedants will gleefully inform you there have been no cathedrals in Scotland since the bishoprics were abolished in 1689. On the other hand, if it looks like a duck, it may well quack. Still very much a working place of worship, I could hear the organ being warmed up as I had a brief stroll among the gravestones. The tower height was increased in the 15th century and this explains the notably different shades of the stonework on this part of the A-listed building. The roof of the nave collapsed towards the end of the 16th century and this state of affairs remained for the next 300 years, forcing the congregation to worship in the choir. Full restoration began in 1889 and the Crown-owned cathedral is now cared for by Historic Scotland. I followed a narrow street down to the Allan Water and passed below a railway viaduct. The intention today was to follow a path that loosely paralleled both the river (upstream) and iron road as far as a small village called Kinbuck. The sun was out and I could sense a little heat in its rays. Spring was definitely in the air. Dunblane has had a railway station since 1848 and today the town is the northernmost limit of electrification on the UK network. Direct services are available to Stirling, Perth, Edinburgh and Glasgow. There was formerly a junction where the line to Oban (via Callander) split off to the west. This route was a victim of the Beeching cuts in 1965, although Oban is still accessible by rail from the Glasgow direction. Housing developments within Dunblane have covered the old tracks but a mile and a half of the closed line can be walked at Doune, the next town along. I wandered by a small community garden (fashioned from a disused quarry) and read an information panel about former industrial activity in the area. When visiting an affluent commuter town like Dunblane today, it's easy to overlook the traditional trades of the past. But wherever a fast river flowed, you often found mills churning out all sorts of produce.
The Allan Water rises in the Ochil Hills and runs for 22 miles before joining the River Forth just beyond Bridge of Allan, a town of similar size to Dunblane. The river's power has been harnessed since the 1400s and it is home to salmon and trout. A dozen mills are reckoned to have operated along the Allan over the centuries and the last working example was Springbank, which opened in 1853 to supply yarn to manufacturers of tartan cloth, carpets and assorted woollen goods. At the height of its powers, the mill employed 400 people and a shortage of local labour led to workers being imported from the Isle of Skye (and tenements built for them). Final closure came in 1980. At that time, the system of lades and sluices was still intact, but used to generate electricity rather than crank the machinery directly. Most of the complex was demolished but the original building was retained and converted to private apartments. I could see this development from my vantage point on the slender Faery Bridge, built in 1911 to allow easy pedestrian access to the mill from the eastern side of town. Its name has nothing to do with the little people, being instead a corruption of the primary building material, ferro concrete. I soon entered the sprawling Laighhills Public Park, where sporting and recreational facilities are provided for the townsfolk, including a graffiti-adorned concrete bowl for skateboarders. I was now leaving Dunblane behind and I crossed the railway on a footbridge before heading into open country. A couple of trains rushed by, while the river was out of sight on the other side of the embankment. I also walked below a flyover carrying the A9 and then rejoined the river as I made my way towards the tiny village of Ashfield.
Planned as a settlement to house workers at a textile mill, Ashfield is now a conservation village and exudes a charming feel. After WW2, the mill specialised in silk dyeing and this process employed 120 people. Industrial activity ceased in 1976 and Ashfield is now a quiet country backwater. There seems to be a strong community spirit and the Facebook page for the village hall lists several recent events, such as a Christmas fair, Burns supper and repair café. The latter involves a group of people getting together and endeavouring to fix broken objects, rather than simply throw them away. The public phone box has been repurposed as a small library and I wondered if our postal infrastructure will one day face the same dilemma. Let's hope not. I pushed on towards Kinbuck - still following the railway - and I could see the village across the fields, less than a mile away. Unfortunately the gravel path ran out and the trail continued over a style. The ground immediately became boggy and water started to seep into my (well worn) walking shoes. If I proceeded further, I ran the risk of sinking into the mud and I decided to call it quits and return to Ashfield. I had already seen a fair amount of varied terrain and didn't feel the need to go all the way to the end of the route regardless of the conditions. I retraced my steps to Dunblane. Later research revealed Ashfield Mill now hosts industrial units. I found the websites of a cabinet maker and soap workshop. Back at the cathedral, I finished off my wander by popping a letter into the gold-painted postbox that commemorates local boy Andy Murray's Olympic success.
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