A village and parish lying to the north of the Ochil Hills in SW Perth and Kinross, Auchterarder stretches out along a mile-long main street that is lined on both sides with shops selling a wide range of tourist goods ranging from antiques to woollens. Formerly situated on the main road from Perth to Stirling, but now bypassed, the village has a long history dating back to the 13th Century when it was founded by Gilbert, Earl of Strathearn. Its ruined castle is said to have been a royal hunting lodge established by Malcolm Canmore in the 11th century and the village itself was for a time a burgh. Disaster struck in 1715 when the settlement was destroyed by Jacobite soldiers retreating from the Battle of Sheriffmuir, but emerging from the ashes the new Auchterarder became a thriving textile town. In 1834 the parish of Auchterarder was the scene of one of the first disputes that gave rise to the Disruption of 1843 when the church congregation refused to accept the minister nominated by the land owner. Today, the Auchterarder Heritage Museum in Glenruthven Mill not only explores the history of the village but also has on display Scotland's only working textile steam engine. Gleneagles railway station nearby serves both the Gleneagles Hotel and Auchterarder which has its own 18-hole golf course. In addition to tourism, Auchterarder is now a centre for building, transport, agricultural engineering and personnel services.
Use the tabs on the right of this page to see other parts of this entry
If you have found this information useful please consider making
a donation to help maintain and improve this resource. More info...
