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Sir Robert Abercromby's changes to the estate
Early in the nineteenth
century, Sir Robert Abercromby had the three hamlets of Pathfoot, Pendreich
and Logie removed from his estate. He demolished the buildings and rehoused
the occupants elsewhere. However, one building from the old Pathfoot remains
to this day. This is the house'East Lodge'. This was previously the property
of Laird Pryce and was known as 'Blawlowan'. It was separate from the Airthrey
estate and therefore survived demolishment by Abercromby. The wall to the
right of the house (at the western entrance to the Hermitage Road) is what
remains of the Pathfoot shoemakers' cottages. Closeby is one of the Aithrey
Standing Stones (the other is to the south of Airthrey Castle). It is not
clear when the stones were erected, but it is thought that they mark the scene
of the defeat of the Picts by the Scots under Kenneth Macalpine in 839. Sherrifmuir
Road was one of the most important drove roads in Scotland during the eighteenth
century and drovers used to pass by the stone on the way from the Highlands
to Falkirk Tryst (a cattle fair). Tradition has it that a certain drover left
his purse on top of the Standing Stone, and when he returned the following
year, it was still there!
Another notable event in the early nineteenth century was the discovery of a whale's skeleton at Airthrey in 1819. The sea margin was originally along the base of the Ochils, meaning that the carse of Stirling and the vale of Menteith were submerged. Sir Robert Abercromby had the skeleton placed in the Natural History Museum at Edinburgh University.
The spa at Bridge of Allan
The development of Bridge of Allan during the nineteenth century was largely a result of the discovery of natural springs at Airthrey. There had been a copper mine on the Airthrey estate for a couple of centuries. Copper was mined sporadically until 1807, when operations finally ceased. In 1820 Sir Robert Abercromby had the mine reopened and the waters analysed by Dr Thomson, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow. When the waters were shown to be of high value (they were comparable with those of Cheltenham and Leamington), Abercromby made an offer to the magistrates of Stirling. His offer being declined, he had the Well House built, which was finished in 1821. One of the old mine shafts was used to draw water up into the Well House. From 1837 onwards there was much building in Bridge of Allan and it became a popular and fashionable spa town. The old Airthrey Hill Mine can still be seen in Mine Woods behind Bridge of Allan.
For a contemporary account of Victorian Bridge of Allan, see:
Roger,
Charles. A week at Bridge of Allan..., 2nd ed., Edinburgh: Adam
and Charles Black,
1853
Page last modified by the Arts Team on 14 June, 2006
