Scottish Oldests and Firsts, People and Places...
Ever wondered where to discover Scotland's oldest records, places and institutions, or even who was the first person in Scotland to achieve a particular goal or bring the world a new invention? We start with the Old County of Perthshire (now in part within Perth and Kinross) and shall add more areas and 'facts' often so please check back regularly. You can also follow us on twitter
Perth and Kinross
St. Serf’s Church at Dunning with graves from the 16th Century now also houses the Dupplin Cross from Forteviot, as well as a further Pictish stone.
The Dupplin cross was carved around 800AD and uniquely for this period, the Latin inscription carved upon it names a Scottish King who reigned c. 780 to 820 - Constantine son of Fergus.
Gask Ridge - according to the Roman Gask Project at the University of Liverpool - is the location of the "first ever Roman Frontier anywhere’’ dated about 70 AD. An ancient royal palace is situated at Forteviot near its south-eastern end, where the death of King Kenneth mac Alpin was recorded in AD 858.
Innerpeffray Chapel and Library, This is the oldest free Public Lending Library in Scotland, and was founded by David Drummond, 3rd Lord Maddertie 1680.
The Fortingall Yew - is believed to be the oldest tree in the world. It sits in a quiet corner of Fortingall churchyard in Perthshire, and is believed to be between 2000 and 5000 years old. If you have ancestors from up that way just imagine how many may have seen it! Not quite as Old and Scottish is the Beech Hedge at Meikleour near Blairgowrie, said to be the tallest hedge in the world. Also in Perthshire is one of the contenders for the tallest tree in Great Britain - nearby at The Hermitage near Dunkeld. It stands 59 m (194 feet) tall. It is a Douglas fir (pseudotsuga menziesii) - another tree in the grounds of Dunkeld Cathedral has the largest girth of this species of 7m (23 feet). No wonder Perthshire is known as the ''Big Tree Country''!
Kirk O'Muir - One of the first and oldest secession churches in Scotland.
In 1736 the Kinclaven Parish Kirk Session unanimously followed James FISHER (minister since 1725), three years after he - together with ERSKINE and 2 others - founded the Associate Presbytery and seceded from the established church. After FISHER’s forcible removal from the church in 1740 by Sheriff Court officers it is unclear how families of the parish were aligned. The secession church congregation which formed built this church around 1747. It was disused in 1930 when the congregation rejoined the Established Church of Scotland. Now known as Kirk’O’Muir, ruined and registered as ‘at risk’, this was probably one of the first secession churches to be built.
Books
The Celtic Salter a book of Psalms is said to be Scotland's oldest book - it is written in Latin is dated to about the 11th century. Only one copy of the first book printed in Gaelic book exists - it is a translation of John Knox's Book of Common order - printed in 1567 in Edinburgh.
St. Serf’s Church at Dunning with graves from the 16th Century now also houses the Dupplin Cross from Forteviot, as well as a further Pictish stone.
The Dupplin cross was carved around 800AD and uniquely for this period, the Latin inscription carved upon it names a Scottish King who reigned c. 780 to 820 - Constantine son of Fergus.
Gask Ridge - according to the Roman Gask Project at the University of Liverpool - is the location of the "first ever Roman Frontier anywhere’’ dated about 70 AD. An ancient royal palace is situated at Forteviot near its south-eastern end, where the death of King Kenneth mac Alpin was recorded in AD 858.
Innerpeffray Chapel and Library, This is the oldest free Public Lending Library in Scotland, and was founded by David Drummond, 3rd Lord Maddertie 1680.
The Fortingall Yew - is believed to be the oldest tree in the world. It sits in a quiet corner of Fortingall churchyard in Perthshire, and is believed to be between 2000 and 5000 years old. If you have ancestors from up that way just imagine how many may have seen it! Not quite as Old and Scottish is the Beech Hedge at Meikleour near Blairgowrie, said to be the tallest hedge in the world. Also in Perthshire is one of the contenders for the tallest tree in Great Britain - nearby at The Hermitage near Dunkeld. It stands 59 m (194 feet) tall. It is a Douglas fir (pseudotsuga menziesii) - another tree in the grounds of Dunkeld Cathedral has the largest girth of this species of 7m (23 feet). No wonder Perthshire is known as the ''Big Tree Country''!
Kirk O'Muir - One of the first and oldest secession churches in Scotland.
In 1736 the Kinclaven Parish Kirk Session unanimously followed James FISHER (minister since 1725), three years after he - together with ERSKINE and 2 others - founded the Associate Presbytery and seceded from the established church. After FISHER’s forcible removal from the church in 1740 by Sheriff Court officers it is unclear how families of the parish were aligned. The secession church congregation which formed built this church around 1747. It was disused in 1930 when the congregation rejoined the Established Church of Scotland. Now known as Kirk’O’Muir, ruined and registered as ‘at risk’, this was probably one of the first secession churches to be built.
Books
The Celtic Salter a book of Psalms is said to be Scotland's oldest book - it is written in Latin is dated to about the 11th century. Only one copy of the first book printed in Gaelic book exists - it is a translation of John Knox's Book of Common order - printed in 1567 in Edinburgh.