The Shaky Toon
If you go down to the woods today you're sure of a big surprise, for there you shall find a giant lying sleeping and the Deil' stirring his cauldron of doom!
You'd be forgiven for thinking that this was the start of a fairytale, but actually you can visit these sights and many more in Comrie.
The village is pretty famous and steeped in history all the way back to Roman Fort Victoria in 79AD! The Gaelic name Cuimridh literally means 'running together' which is perfect as Comrie is the meeting place of the Earn, Ruchill and Lednock rivers.
Lying on the highland fault line where the highlands meet the lowlands little earthquakes are frequent and have earned Comrie the nickname, 'Shaky Toon.' In 1874 the Earthquake House (first seismic recording station in the western world) was built in the Ross with a unique mallet seismometer to measure all the tremors. Although the original has now been replaced with more modern equipment, a replica is still on show. It is so sensitive that it managed to pick up the tsunami on Boxing Day 2004 in Indonesia. Well worth a visit, but beware of the friendly cows in the field!
If its a hot sunny day (well, dry and above 10C - this is Scotland!) and you are looking for a place to cool off? Look no further that Comrie's very own swimming pool - the Linn. Extremely popular with the locals, you'll find this place buzzing during the holidays.
Heading up Glen Lednock you'll find that Deil' (the devil) and his cauldron hiding in the woods. One of nature's great creations it's a fast flowing waterfall that shoots water out of a gorge into a deep pool below. Local legend says that a water-elf called Uris Chidh stays here and attempts to lure victims into the treacherous waters. You have been warned!
Further up the Glen lies a giant sleeping - can you spot him? Be careful not to wake him or you might set the Earthquake House off!
During WWII the sounds of Army vehicles and marching prisoners were common in Comrie as POW Camp 21 (Cultybraggan) is based there. With many stories and secrets to share, they have regular guided tours and a self-guided walking tour for you to experience the horrors of being a prisoner. Rudolph Hess was reputed (whether rightly or wrongly) to have been imprisoned at Cultybraggan too!
Over the years many famous people have visited or stayed in Comrie. Mary Queen of Scots used to hunt in the area, Robert Burns wrote about his time staying at Aberuchill Castle (now owned by well known Russian tycoon Vladimr Lisin), Queen Victoria loved to visit the Royal Hotel, Charles Rennie MacKintosh designed a flat in the 1900's and Gerard Butler is a regular visitor (he enjoys a pint in the Royal!). Many TV programmes have been filmed here too including, The Beachgrove Garden, Location, Location, Location and even GMTV (I was on two of them)!
So as you can see, once you scratch the surface of what looks like a sleepy little village on the map, there are lots of hidden features and stories just bursting to get out. Well worth a wee visit (yes I know I'm a bit biased) next time you're staying with us at the Croft.
August 2015
