Bridge of Allan

Today we travelled north to visit Kirsty and David in Bridge of Allan for a few days.

We left at 5:30am, and with stops at Leeming Bar and Moffat arrived in Bridge of Allan shortly after 1pm.

We were made very welcome by Kirsty and David and had a good walk around the town before being taken for a little drive up into the Ochil Hills and then to the Old Kirk and Kirkyard at Logie.

Here are a few photos.

We were welcomed with a table of goodies

On our walk round the town... this clock is an 1898 memorial to a Dr Paterson, who practised in the district for over 50 years.

The fish and chip shop, with associated café, is very popular. There are plenty of other places to eat in the town.

The view from the eponymous bridge. The original bridge of 1520 replaced a dangerous ford. It was strengthened in 1842 to support heavier traffic.

There are independent bakers and butchers shops.  On the top shelf on the right here are some empire biscuits, a Scottish favourite.

We will be coming back to Cullens butchers later in the week  to get some lorne sausage and scotch pies to take home.

Bridge of Allan was a spa town. There was a copper mine in the hills and springs were found to have a high mineral content and from 1820 visitors were encourage to "take the waters".

Dating from its Victoiran heyday, the Fountain Of Nineveh was built in 1851 as a 'whimsy'. It stands, sensibly enough, in Fountain Road. Apparently it's named after excavations going on at the time in the original Nineveh on the River Tigris.

It is not far from Stirling (about 5 miles) and in places you get a view of Stirling Castle. We must go there later in the week.

The Memorial Park, completed in 1826, is still a well-used green space.

Another local sight is of the National Wallace Monument.

Up the road towards Sheriffmuir, we stopped by the start of the path up to Dumyat hill.

Even without climbing the hill we go great views.

That's the Wallace Monument you can see sticking up.

Down to the road at bottom of the hills, we travelled a short distance further to visit the Old Kirk and Kirkyard at Logie.

There are over 350 gravestones dating as far back as to some Norse hogback stones from 1080.

By 2007 the site was in an overgrown and dangerous condition until the Logie Old Graveyard Group of volunteers took over and secured funding for structural repairs.

Nearby we stopped briefly at a car park for the Hillfoots Diamond Jubilee Way which runs along the foot of the Ochil Hills. One for another time perhaps.

Then it was back to Kirsty and David's for some home-made curry. Thanks for having us to stay and ferrying us about!

You can find more of my photos here on Flickr.