School offers friendly ballet classes for children from the age of 4 and adults. Royal Academy of Dance Registered Teachers. ballet@birnamarts.com for more information. Photo credit: grahamrobb@grahamrobb.co.uk
50 years ago, in January 1975 one of my predecessors, Tom Dick, launched a newsletter for the parish. The 1st edition was simply called ONE! The second edition in February refers to a request for the community to submit suggestions for names. These included Contact, Via (perhaps for the classicists among us?) Folkweave and Link amongst others. The Editorial Committee, however, settled on ‘The Bridge’ and so it has been part of community life since.
The context helps explain the rationale. Tom had been inducted as minister of the Cathedral which was shortly to unite with what was then the separate Parish of Little Dunkeld when the Rev T Rodger Gillies retired. In early editions of The Bridge there are descriptions of these events, a service of Induction, one of Union and then the retirement of Mr. Gillies who had been minister for 50 years in this one Parish. It is interesting to read the names of people involved, people I have often heard about and who have entered the folklore of the Parish.
Just as fascinating is to read some of the concerns within the community which are reported on. Here are a few:
• An appeal to raise £80,000 for the stonework on the Cathedral, (a drop in the ocean compared to the current estimate of £2.9 million!)
• A discussion about changes in worship and the introduction of new songs (which seemed to get a resounding thumbs down!)
• Teenage drinking headlined as ‘Scourge of rural Perthshire.’
• The number of tourists in the Cathedral (a mere 20,000 compared to today’s 80,000.)
• Overdue improvements to the A9. Does any of that sound familiar?
Youth Jazz
Singing and Rainbows Christmas Concert - p3
Alice Campbell dances the role of
in Birnam Arts Ballet School’s Christmas Performance
Arts Ballet
Late Night Shopping - p14
DUNKELD & BIRNAM
The Portent of the Shadow An eerie tale for Christmas - p22
The Bridge
Edited by volunteers for the people of Dunkeld, Birnam and the surrounding villages since 1974. Thank you for all your support.
Advertising rates from £7.32 per month. Contact the Advertising Manager for details.
Please e-mail your article to the editor at: editor@dunkeldandbirnamnews.co.uk or post to:
The Bridge
Dunkeld & Birnam Community Co-Working Space
Lagmhor, Dunkeld PH8 0AD
Facebook Page
Dunkeld & Birnam, The Bridge Read Online at: www.dunkeldandbirnamnews.co.uk
The Bridge Newsletter is produced and distributed by Dunkeld and Birnam News CICa Community Interest Company Registered in Scotland SC813544
Beth Taylor, our lovely Development Trust Officer, recently reminded me that it was International Kindness Day. As those of you who know Beth will agree, she’s kindness personified, so it felt very fitting that she was championing the day. Thank you, Beth!
Her reminder got me thinking about gratitude journals, which are all in vogue. Research suggests that consciously noting what we’re thankful for can boost our wellbeing. So, as I put together this final edition of The Bridge for the year—on what feels quite literally like a wing and a prayer—I thought I’d give it a go. This edition is a special one, as it marks our 50th Anniversary! So, without further ado, here’s my gratitude list in no particular order…
#1 goes to you, dear readers. Thank you for caring enough about our community to read The Bridge and keep up with all the local happenings. You’re the reason we do this.
#2 to our new Bridge Board. To strengthen The Bridge’s future, we’ve broadened its ownership beyond the Parish. A big thank you to David Gray, Fiona Valpy, Stuart Paton, and Sheila Mannion for stepping up as volunteer Board members.
#3 to all the other volunteers who help keep The Bridge going. This year, we’ve tried something new: asking residents to deliver copies to their own streets or blocks of flats. Thanks to this initiative, over half the village is now covered by this wonderful network of helpers.
#4 to our regular contributors. Your interesting articles, stunning photographs, and forgiving nature (when we occasionally—OK, often—print the wrong version or miss something out) make you truly fabulous.
#5 to the Parish of Dunkeld. For years, the Parish has shouldered the financial risk of running The Bridge and supported its transition to a community interest company. Special thanks to John Gray and Fraser Penny for their incredible support.
Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group
Working constructively to get the best community outcomes from the A9 dualling proposals
The next A9 Community Group meeting will be on Thursday 30th January 2025 . All welcome! If there are important developments before that we shall of course be in touch.
On 20th Nov Stuart Moffat, Transport Scotland A9 Dualling Project Manager for Pass of Birnam to Tay Crossing with colleagues from TS and Jacobs met with representatives of the A9CG, the Community Council and Junctions Action Group. He gave an update on some aspects of the detailed design of this section. They will attend the A9CG meeting on 30th Nov.
ANOTHER REMINDER!
IF YOU SUBMITTED WRITTEN COMMENTS TO TS ABOUT THE PREFERRED ROUTE AFTER THEIR JANUARY 2024 EXHIBIT AND WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEIR RESPONSE TO YOU IS, PLEASE LOOK AT THEIR AUGUST CONSULTATION REPORT, PLEASE DO!
There is also a hard copy of this report at Birnam Arts for ease of reference. It contains a summary analysis of responses to them (page 16 onwards) and an Appendix J (page 50 onwards) with 85 verbatim written comments to them (anonymised) on aspects of their Preferred Route announced in December 2023 and for each one a response from TS. ALTHOUGH NO NAMES ARE SHOWN IN APPENDIX J, ITS VERY LIKELY THAT YOU WILL RECOGNISE YOUR OWN COMMENTS.( THEY ARE NOT SENDING INDIVIDUAL RESPONSES ).
WE’D BE VERY INTERESTED TO KNOW IF YOU DO THIS AND IF SO WHAT YOU THINK OF THE TS RESPONSE TO YOU, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THE REPORT. PLEASE EMAIL ALASDAIR, SEE BELOW. THIS WILL BE A GREAT HELP IN OUR FURTHER ENGAGEMENT WITH TS ABOUT THEIR PREFERRED ROUTE DESIGN.
For all Transport Scotland contact details/links including their DMRB Stage 2 assessment and Preferred Route, see the June Bridge, also available on our A9 dualling page in the online Bridge, link below. As always you can contact us at email: dunkeldA9workinggroup@gmail.com, and to have your details added (or removed from) our mailing list; Also at Facebook page: Birnam to Ballinluig A9 Community Group. Please Like and Share it. or just phone me! Alasdair Wylie Coordinator 01350 727361 07927 175121 awylie2002@yahoo.co.uk
Our report on “The Bridge” website is on page 2 at https://www.dunkeldandbirnamnews.co.uk/
#6 to Dave Barbour, Emily Strachan, Clark Brown, and the team at Winter and Simpson Print. Thank you for designing and printing The Bridge and for the fabulous redesign we’re unveiling in this special 50th Anniversary issue.
#7 to Pete Guthrie, who has kept our website ticking along and recently managed its seamless transition to a new platform. Check out www.dunkeldandbirnamnews.co.uk to see our fresh, user-friendly digital edition—it’s live the same day The Bridge is printed!
#8 to the leaders of our many community organisations who valiantly keep them going year after year. A special shoutout to Gillian and Lachlan MacEwan for their tireless efforts to organise Santa Day over the years. They’re stepping down this year, and we hope others will take up the mantle to keep this cherished tradition alive.
#9 to Kirsty Gowans, our incredible advertising manager and social media guru. Kirsty, your readiness to answer calls— even outside ‘normal’ office hours—is a lifesaver, and your support means the world.
#10 to my eternally patient family: my husband, Andrew, and those tiny toots, Scott and Callum, now 24 and 22—how did that happen? Thank you for tolerating the very odd hours required to edit The Bridge and for accepting—often with remarkable good humour and equanimity—the many references to your lives in this editorial over the years.
Writing this list has put me in a cheery mood—proof, if needed, that a spot of gratitude works a treat. To all of you, thank you for making this community such a special place to live and for giving me the privilege of editing The Trusty Old Bridge, now a distinguished 50 years old.
Wishing you a joyous festive season and all the best for 2024. I look forward to catching up with you again in February!
Celebrating 50 Years of The Bridge - continued
Not only have community issues not changed much, the stated aims of The Bridge remain the same. Tom, in the first edition, refers to three aims.
1. To stimulate community awareness. 2. To publicise matters of common concern.
3. To show the relevance of the Christian Gospel. Broadly speaking, these remain the aims of The Bridge today. Communication may have changed drastically in 50 years with email, Facebook, websites, WhatsApp groups, etc. but the basic task remains the same; to communicate and build bridges. In that task we have been well served by willing volunteers. Tom Dick and Hugh Sim were in charge to begin with. When I first came here Shirley Walker was editor and Dick Beckett looked after the advertising and admin side. Then Sally Robertson took over the helm as editor and John Gray looked after advertising, a job now taken on by David Gray. Thanks to the vision of Tom Dick and the willing help of many volunteers it has become a significant part of community life in this Parish. Thanks to everyone who has helped in anyway with such a great initiative. So, Happy 50th. Birthday to The Bridge and here’s to the next 50!
Fraser Penny
Linda Farquharson
Linocut Workshops & Open Studio
Linocut Workshops
New dates for 2025 on Website from 1st December 2024
A collection of works with ideas for gifts, special occasions or even a treat for yourself, featuring work from local creatives and artists.
Robin Hood the Panto: Birnam Institute Players
Thurs 5th & Fri 6th Dec: 7pm / Sat 7th: 2pm7pm / Sun 8th: 2pm
Tickets: £10 Adult/£7 U16/£25 Family (2adults/2 u16s)*
A Hero, a Heroine or a depressed Jester and much more…
A fabulous live band, a cast of... loads, and The Singalong!
Santa Day Puppet Show: The Elves and the Shoemaker - Clydebuilt Theatre
Sat 7th Dec 11am - £6*
Lots of fun for the wee ones on Santa Day!
Amos & Jauncey and Friends Festive Season Concert
Sat 14th Dec 7.30pm - £11/£13/£15/£17*
Dave, Jamie and friends join us for another evening of great music - Burt Bacharach to The Beatles, Carole King to The Kinks, Elton John to Stevie Wonder and many more with join-in favourites!
Warm Spaces: Free Wednesday Film
Wed 18th Dec 2pm: Scrooge: Albert Finney
Wed 22nd Jan 2pm: Mamma Mia: Meryl Streep
Lunch 1pm
Come and join us for our winter season of Warm Spaces Free Film and a complimentary pre-film lunch at 1pm for the first 15 people to attend… no booking required – just turn up!
Christmas Movie Marathon
Sat 21st Dec - £6 for all*
The Snowman: 12:00 - 12:30
The Snowman and the Snowdog: 12:40 - 13:35
Home Alone : 14:00 - 15:45
Break: 15:45 - 16:15
The Muppets Christmas Carol: 16:15 - 17:45
Singing and Rainbows
Christmas Concert
Sun 22nd Dec 12.30pm-1.30pm - £7*
An hour of Opera, Musicals, Movie Classics and Pop on the theme of CHRISTMAS!!
With Opera singers Colleen and Katie.
Aches and Pains EXHIBITION: Nicky May
Sat 18th January – Sun 2nd March 2025
Ceramics, video/performance and installation/sculpture by Perthshire neurodiverse artist Nicky May, providing a platform for the neurodiverse perspective.
Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra
Sat 18th January 2pm-4pm £5/£12/£0*
Aches and Pains
EXHIBITION: Nicky May 18 January – 2 March 2025
Volunteering at Birnam Arts
If you’d like to volunteer at Birnam Arts, we’d love to meet you. Come and learn new skills, meet like-minded individuals, and immerse yourself in the cultural heartbeat of the area. Interested? Contact Elspeth on: Volunteer@birnamarts.com, or ask at Reception!
See website for workshops and more: Birnamarts.com / 01350 727674
* Denotes Booking Fee
Dunkeld & Birnam Traditional Youth Music Group
It’s coming up for the festive season and that can only mean one thing…DB Trad Group Christmas concert on Monday 9th December. Doors open 6:30pm with concert from 7-8pm at Birnam Arts.
Tickets are free though we’ll have a donations box at the door. No need to book, but if you’d like to come along and hear our young musicians and some of the tunes they’ve been learning, send us a message so we know how many seats to put out.
Plans for expanding tuition for other instruments are underway so watch this space for news about extra classes starting in January. In the meantime, if you’d like to sign up for free classes in guitar, whistle, fiddle or accordion, please get in touch.
This does mean that we’re on the look out for small guitars, so if you have any hanging around your home and would like them to be brought back to life, we’ll happily put them to good use.
Our current classes for fiddle and piano-accordion and band sessions run weekly during term–time at Birnam Arts for anyone aged P5 – S6. It’s completely free and we provide the instruments at no cost.
Our junior and senior bands are for those who can already play at least a little, and we welcome accordion, fiddle, viola, cello, wind and brass players, guitarists, pianists and more to join in with our musical adventures.
½ hour group lessons - Mondays 4-6pm
Junior trad band (P5-S2) - Mondays 6:30-7:30pm
Senior trad band (S3-S6) - Mondays 7:30-8:30pm
We rely entirely on funding and donations to keep our group accessible to all and as always, our thanks go to SSE Renewables, National Lottery, Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust, Basil Death Trust, Scops Arts Trust, The Lang Foundation, Hugh Fraser Foundation, Enchanted Forest for their funding, and all of the local residents and groups who have generously donated money and instruments.
Our local community has already given tremendous support and encouragement through donating instruments, time and money, attending concerts and involving us in local events. We couldn’t ask for more.
Find us at www.facebook.com/dbtradgroup
Email dbtradgroup@gmail.com or call 07958 324 766 for more info.
A superb concert of music and improvisation by the talented TSYJO, showcasing music by Miles, Ella, Piazzolla, Gillespie, Count Basie and Duke Ellington.
Our local Community Choir, called Just Singin’, has had a great year! Many thanks to our wonderful tutors and singers who together make our sessions at 7.30pm on Wednesday evenings in the upstairs room at Birnam Arts such fun. We would like to extend a warm invitation to you to come along and join our friendly, informal group where we learn songs and harmonies by ear and everyone is made welcome. We have four terms of 8 weeks each in the year, and offer the choice of paying termly, or simply on any night that you attend. Our next term begins on 5th February 2025 when we are very excited to have Emma Neck returning as our first tutor of the year. Why not brighten up your winter evenings by joining us for an evening to give it a go, we’d love to welcome you! For further details please have a look at our website https.//www.justsingin. co.uk
Finally, our thanks and warm congratulations to everyone at The Bridge on the 50th anniversary of the magazine for the help and voice that they give to local community groups like ours.
Birnam Arts Open 7 Days: Café: 10.00-16.00 | Shop: 10.30-15.30 Booking Fees apply to all events. Birnamarts.com / 01350 727674
www.perthshire-artisans.scot
Rivendell provides high quality care and support for you and your elderly relative. Based in Birnam and Dunkeld our homely environment provides a safe and fun community spirit. Our trained staff provide care and support for all your needs 24 hours a day, we are always there.
So, if you are looking for social contact, a safe and supportive environment, support with health or medical needs then contact us. Our mission is to provide a home for life, so come and live life with us.
Please phone 01350 727413 and speak to Gina or email: manager@rivendellcarehome.co.uk.com for more information.
Wellbeing
pennybaird5@icloud.com Little Dunkeld • 07342 979393 Zerobalancinguk.org
Sports, Health and Wellbeing
AIMS:
1: To transform the lives of people in the villages and surrounding areas through sport and leisure.
2: To promote the various sports and leisure activities in the Dunkeld & Birnam area.
3: To support the building and maintenance of sports facilities including a sports hall.
All sports and leisure clubs are invited to join ‘The Sports Hub.’ Membership is free.
Please send details of your club’s activities and events to editor@dunkeldandbirnmamnews.co.uk for inclusion in the hub page of ‘The Bridge.’
Leisure Group (the Sports Hall project)
The 2024 AGM of the D and B Leisure Group (the Sports Hall project) was held at the Coworking Space on 11th November. The minutes of the 2023 AGM were reviewed and approved; Kevin Lancaster, Chair, reported that following the opening of the D and B Sports and Leisure Hub’s MUGA in early 2023 (to which the LG had contributed £32,500 including £22,500 from the “Robbie Fund”) we had decided to have a period without looking to carry on further activities, to allow their new facility time to settle in and the individuals who were mainly responsible for bringing it to fruition a period of “downtime”. The Hub has reported to us that the MUGA has been very well used by a variety of users including the local primary school during the day, after school clubs, a number of football clubs and informal groups, netball, tennis playing and coaching plus plenty of ad hoc use . We understand that costs are more than covered from fees and rentals. We also understand that a contractor has been instructed to lay tree root protection and hard core on the new car park.
There had not yet been any progress regarding the other elements of the “Masterplan” agreed in 2021 between the Sports and Leisure Hub and the Leisure Group. It was agreed to take this up with the current Hub committee and if necessary to provide background briefing to new members. Margaret Scott, Treasurer, presented the annual accounts which were approved. The new bond in which most of the Group’s funds are held will mature on 1st Nov 2025. Thanks were extended to Bill Nicoll as Auditor. The following were re-elected: Kevin Lancaster, Chair; Graham Rees, Vice Chair; Margaret Scott, Treasurer; Alasdair Wylie, Secretary; Bill Wright and Peter Guthrie, Committee Members. The next AGM will be on 6th May 2025.
If you would like any more information about the Leisure Group (the Sports Hall project), please contact Alasdair Wylie, Secretary on 07927 175121 or awylie2002@yahoo.co.uk
Monday Running Group
Mondays-6.15pm@TheHighlandGamesField - the Monday running group welcomes anyone who wants to get out walking or running on grass. Through the winter we have lit cones and head-torches - darkness is no barrier. Phone James on 07736 724113.
Sat 21 Dec - Santa Chase - Can you stay ahead of the fleet-footed Santa? Runners can phone Iain on 07584 411622 to negotiate their handicap. 11am from Beatrix Potter Gardens, Birnam on 21 Dec - WhatsApp Iain07784411622 if interested in running or helping!
Tue 24 Dec - Family Christmas Eve Walk - Meet St Ninian’s Garden at 1.30pm for a walk up to the “Grotto”. Walk is 6.7km. We will be back at St Ninian’s by 4pm. Involves some narrow paths and clambering over and under fallen trees.
Sat 8/Sun 9th February 2024 - NNAS Navigator Bronze Award - 2 days, £140 at Little Dunkeld Girl Guide Hallhttps://walks.dunkeld.info/Navigate-With-Confidence/
Dalguise Meditation Group
By popular demand, this month we are branching out and running a trial meditation meeting on Zoom. This is to be on Tuesday 3 December, from 6.30 to 8pm. If you are interested in joining in, please get in touch at the email address below, and I will explain further.
Meditation has all sorts of benefits – increased focus and calmness, the opportunity to see things from a different perspective, a greater feeling of freedom and harmony, among many others. Whether you have never tried meditation before, or whether you have an established practice, why not come to one of our meetings and find out what we do?
Live meetings take place every other Tuesday in Dalguise Village Hall from 10.30 to 12.30. In November, the meetings are on 5th and 19th. We enjoy sitting and walking meditations, discussions and refreshments. There are no charges, no formalities and we have no religious affiliations.
If you aren’t able to attend in person, you might be interested in going on our mailing list, to receive interesting and helpful articles about meditation and mindful living, on the intervening Tuesdays. If you would like to know more about our meetings or about meditation in general, please do contact faithanstey@gmail.com
PH8 Caring Support
Personal assistants
Since our project started in January 2024, we have managed to support many families by putting them in touch with personal assistants.
PH8 Caring support can assist in sourcing a personal assistant to support your family in many ways, including; respite care, medication prompting and monitoring, assistance with meal preparation and with all aspects of personal care. We currently have 8 personal assistants, some of who still have time available to support others.
Befriending
We have also started a local, voluntary befriending service, for people who may feel socially isolated. Currently we have one befriender already providing support and are looking for more. We want to grow this service and help people in our community who can no longer get out to maintain their social contacts, especially coming up to the colder months.
Volunteer befrienders are matched with someone to visit regularly for a cuppa and chat, developing a relationship which can be really rewarding for both parties. By joint agreement this could also mean going out, for example for a coffee.
There is a growing body of evidence of the importance of social relationships for our health and well-being. Could you spare 1-2 hours a week or fortnight to become a befriender and give back to your community? We would love to hear from you.
For an informal chat and find out more, contact our co-ordinator, Eilidh on 07432569447, or email: eilidhwild84@outlook.com
Dementia Café Perth
The next Dementia Cafe will take place on Wednesday 4th December , 10-1230pm in the North Church Hall , High Street , Perth . All those with memory problems who seek reassurance or those with a diagnosis of dementia are very welcome to attend.
The team ,who has run this very successful meeting place for 16 years is drawn from the medical , social work and daycare professions to answer any of your questions and offer support to all . They work together with the volunteers to ensure that everyone is given a warm welcome and are looked after with a cuppa and biscuit or cake. We cater for those who require gluten-free products.
The atmosphere is upbeat and encouraging. Some of the volunteers have had first hand experience of coping on a daily basis with a loved one with a diagnosis of dementia , which can give visitors the feeling that they are not alone .
In case you cannot come in December, we are open every 1st Wednesday of the month . Our January cafe will however be held on the 8th , because of the public holiday at Hogmanay.
We look forward to seeing you all !
Sports, Health and Wellbeing
High Street Dunkeld Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10am - 4pm
If you are interested in volunteering, please enquire in the shop for more info. Sale of Christmas items starts Tue 12th Nov. Baubles, stocking fillers, all things glittery!!! Find us on Facebook at 3 Churches Charity Shop
The shop will be closed from: 1600 Saturday 21st December and re-open 1000 Tuesday January 7th. We wish all our customers and donators a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Community Developments
The Development Trust
The Development Trust continues its hard work on various matters, assisting and enabling a number of groups within the local community. In light of the recently, newly formed housing group, the Trust openly welcomes the opportunity to liaise with any groups and members of the community who are working on affordable housing in the area.
Local Place Plan Survey
DBDCDT and DBCC are currently working together to collate information for Local Place Plan.
“Local Place Plans are community-led plans setting out proposals for the development and use of land. Introduced by the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, these plans will set out a community’s aspirations for its future development. Once completed and then registered by the planning authority, they are to be taken into account in the preparation of the relevant local development plan” - Planning Circular 1/2022: Local Place Plans.
Please share your thoughts and suggestions via our online survey.
https://forms.gle/sqVizkBVjnQKN4oT6 or scan the QR Code opposite: Paper versions available on request –please email dbdcdt@gmail.com
Care Group
The Care Group’s focus remains on improving the level and quality of Care and Support available within the PH8 area. Two more outings are planned between now and Christmas for some of our older citizens, while we now have various people interested in becoming Befrienders and PH8 Caring Support is now well established and is covered in a different article in this month’s Bridge. We are delighted that Mel Nicol has been successful in her bid for initial funding for a Therapeutic Garden and we hope to start making progress on how to make PH8 an even more dementia friendly community in the coming year. If you are interested in any of these projects, or have ideas of your own, please get in touch with Eilidh Wild on mob: 07432569447 or John Gilruth on mob: 07754099030.
Community Bus
The Development Trust has expressed an interest in obtaining a free community bus from Perth and Kinross Council. We don’t know the outcome yet, but hope that we can have a pool of volunteer drivers to collect people round the village and drive them to shops or social events in the community, a few times a week.
We’ll keep you posted on progress!
Artisan Village Update
Please share your views on the Artisan Village via our online survey.
https://forms.gle/x35ES4gSSqy5Z2kGA or scan the QR Code opposite: Paper versions available on request –please email dunkeldmakers@gmail.com
Join the Trust!
Become a member of DBDCDT via our website https://www.dbdtrust.org/getinvolved scan the QR Code below or send us an emaildbdcdt@gmail.com. The more members we have the more representative the Trust becomes.
Trust AGM
The Trust held its AGM on Monday 25th November, after this edition of The Bridge was sent to print. We will therefore provide an update in next month’s edition.
Home Repairs and Improvements Carpentry : Plumbing : Tiling Glazing and Decorating SERVING PERTHSHIRE FOR 30 YEARS NO JOB TOO SMALL
Although seldom seen by us due to its nocturnal habit, the badger is Scotland’s fourth largest native mammal after red deer, roe deer and beaver. Living primarily on a diet of earthworms, they are incredibly social animals, living in distinct groups of up to six adults in specific territories occupying a number of setts.
Even though dedicated legislation protects badgers and their setts, they still face multiple threats, ranging from road accidents to persecution, sett damage to habitat loss.
Scottish Badgers, a charity dedicated to the study, conservation and protection of badgers in Scotland, aims to encourage tolerance and appreciation of badgers by offering practical information, advice and guidance to all.
You can get an insight into their work - and the threats faced by Scottish badgers - by coming along to the next talk hosted by the Pitlochry and Highland Perthshire branch of the Scottish Wildlife Trust on Monday 16th December.
Our speaker will be Joe Connelly, formally Strathclyde Police Wildlife Crime Coordinator and a countryside ranger. Joe is now the Species Protection and Information Officer for Scottish Badgers, working closely with Police Scotland to investigate crimes against badgers as well as offering advice to anyone who needs it.
It’s set to be an interesting discussion.
Date: Monday 16th December 2024
Time: 7.30pm - 8.30pm
Place: The Tryst, Church of Scotland, Church Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5EB.
Suggested donation: £3 for non-members, £2 for members (you can donate in person on the day).
Contact markandrosie@btinternet.com for more information. Sign up to hear about events and find out more about activities on the numerous reserves in our area and beyond. https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/sign-up-toour-mailing-list/.
Work & Business Support
King-Dome Geodesic Cabins and Saunas
Shaping comfort in nature: King-Dome Geodesic Cabins and Saunas Imagine stepping into a cozy dome nestled in the forest - a space that brings both shelter and retreat. This is what King-Dome, a new Dunkeld startup, offers with its eco friendly geodesic dome cabin and saunas. Alex Munro had a desire to create a sauna space that would promote connection with nature, relaxation and bring the community together. Stuart Hutchison had a dream to build a unique structure that would be not only provide shelter but be eye catching, durable and sit in harmony with its surroundings. Both brought their complimentary skills into this new partnership to make the dome a reality - Alex with his experience in woodworking, design and tiny home living and Stuart with his background in cabinetmaking, construction and architectural technology. Crafted from sustainably sourced wood and fitted with energy efficient heating, King-Dome ca and saunas are designed for comfort. The spherical design allows for natural light flow and hea distribution, creating a cosy and serene atmosphere, ideal for both relaxation and wellness. Looking ahead, KingDome aims to bring their unique blend of
design, nature and wellness to more locations, hoping to make sustainable, immersive retreats a staple of outdoor living.
To see the dome and discuss options make a visit to Brodies Timber who have generously supported the project so far.
Alex Munro and Stuart Hutchison king-dome.co.uk
Brodies Timber, The old sawmill, Dunkeld PH8 OJR
Instagram @kingdome_llp kingdomellp@ gmail.com
Scottish Landscaping
Friendly reliable service guaranteed
Grass Cutting, Hedge Cutting, Strimming, Gravel laid, Fencing, Turfing, Slabbing, Tree Work and all General Maintenance
Free Quotes Given
Kilry: 01575 560411
Blairgowrie: 01250 798403
Mobile: 07834 258491
Three Churches in the Community
Thought for the Month
It is a great honour to be asked to contribute to this edition which the editor tells me marks the 50th Anniversary of The Bridge. Well done Sally and I thank you for the invitation to add a few thoughts for the Advent and Christmas season marking this special occasion.
Advent for various reasons is my favourite liturgical season as it is supposed to be a time of quiet winter contemplation before the great family celebrations of Christmas. Thinking of contemplation my previous reflection was on Brother Lawrence, a member of the Teresian Carmelites, a contemplative order of which I myself am blessed to be a member. The Teresian Carmelites were founded by Teresa of Avila, a truly remarkable woman who lived in a somewhat male orientated society in 16th Century Spain. She belonged to an enclosed religious order where women were expected to say little, but despite this she managed to convince the hierarchy of her order that things had gone wrong and that they needed to get back to basics. Basics in this case was to be a return to the simplicity of the Carmelites who had originally lived as hermits on the slopes of Mount Carmel in the Holy Land during the 13th Century. Teresa started by advocating contemplative interior prayer which initially did not go down well with the Spanish authorities, who preferred to know what was being prayed about.
Against all odds Teresa managed to get some important people behind her including the Spanish king and important supporters in Rome. As if that was not enough she wanted her new order to be founded in poverty so all the more remarkable that she was able to persuade backers from all walks of life to finance the establishment of seventeen monasteries in Spain which then expanded to became a worldwide order. Her determination to succeed against all odds has led to Teresa being recognised during our own times as an early model for independent womanhood. It is perhaps not surprising that Church History remembers Teresamore for her holiness than her exceptional management skills. We are fortunate that Teresa wrote extensively leaving us with many quotable pithy remarks that are still well known today. I am choosing one from many to reflect on over Advent. It is taken from Teresa’s best known book The Interior Castle in which she imagines a progressive journey of personal transformation, leading us through a series of rooms in an imaginary Castle, creating a symbolism has also been of interest to modern psychologists. Reaching the end of her long journey this is what she says to her nun’s in the book’s penultimate paragraph: In sum, my Sisters, what I conclude with is that we shouldn’t build castles in the air. The Lord doesn’t so much look at the greatness of our works as at the love with which they are done.
Regardless of how we see religion this feels like important advice during times of change, making it a good thought for us to ponder. In the meantime, may we all enjoy a peaceful Advent and have a joyous Christmas when it comes.
by Roderick Campbell Guion OCDS
Church of Scotland Services
December 1st. 11.00am – Communion Service in Little Dunkeld Kirk 1st. Sunday in Advent 6.30pm – Prayers for Help & Healing in Little Dunkeld Kirk
December 8th. 11.00am – Morning worship in Little Dunkeld Kirk
December 15th. 11.00am – Morning worship in Little Dunkeld Kirk
3.00pm – Service of Remembering in Little Dunkeld
(See explanation below.)
December 22nd. 11.00am – Morning Worship in Little Dunkeld Kirk
3.00pm. – Christingle service in Little Dunkeld
December 24th. 6.30pm. – Christmas Eve Service at Amulree
11.30pm – Watchnight service in the Cathedral (Carol singing from 11pm onwards.)
December 25th. 11.00am – Christmas Day Service in Little Dunkeld Kirk
January 5th. 11.00am – Morning Worship in Little Dunkeld Kirk
6.30pm – Prayers for Help & Healing in St. Mary’s
January 12th. 11.00am – Morning Worship in Little Dunkeld Kirk
January 19th. 11.00am – Morning Worship in Little Dunkeld Kirk
2.15pm – Service at Amulree Kirk
January 26th. 11.00am – Morning Worship in Little Dunkeld Kirk
After the service tea and coffee are served in one of the gathering areas in the church and everyone is very welcome to stay for a short time.
Service of Remembering - Sunday 8th. December at 3pm in Little Dunkeld Kirk - a service of prayer, reflection and remembrance for people dealing with loss. Families who have had funerals in the parish in the past year are invited by letter but there is a warm invitation to anyone who feels a loss keenly at this time of year, whether that loss was a few months ago or years ago. The service lasts about half an hour and those who want to, can stay for tea/coffee afterwards.
Prayers for Help & Healing
On the first Sunday of the month there is a short service held jointly between the Parish Church and St.Mary’s Episcopal Church at 6.30pm. This follows the pattern of the weekly service of healing in Iona Abbey and lasts about 45 minutes.
It is a very gentle, quiet time of worship and prayer for specific things people may mention if they want to, or you can simply join in the service and have your own time of prayer.
The next one will be on December 1st. in Little Dunkeld and then January 5th. in St. Mary’s. All welcome from any church or none.
Susan Morrison
Susan Morrison from Perth will be with us in the Church of Scotland congregation as part of her training for the Diaconate. Susan currently works as a nurse and is also doing a degree in theology through the Highland Theological College.
Her placement here will include participating in Sunday Worship and being part of our groups and organisations. Welcome Susan, and we hope you enjoy your time amongst us here in Dunkeld!
Christingle
There is something special about the annual Christingle service! Through carols and an unrehearsed nativity play the story of Jesus’ birth is told again. Young and old can dress up to be part of the telling or you can just sit to watch the drama unfold and join in the songs. Towards the end, when the Christingle candles are lit there is a special atmosphere of wonder and prayer as we remember the purpose of it all – that Jesus is the light of the world.
Please join us this year on December 22nd. at 3pm.in Little Dunkeld and at the end stay for some Christmas refreshments before heading home.
Santa Day - December 7th
In the Duchess Anne there will be the usual Second Hand Toy sale downstairs (see separate notice) and teas and coffees upstairs with Soup & Bread served at Lunchtime.
To end the day there will be carol singing in the Cathedral at 4pm. Always a lovely event and a chance to kick off the Season with a good sing of favourite carols!
Christmas Offerings
This year the offerings at our Christmas Eve services at Amulree and the Cathedral will be shared between two very worthwhile causes.
One is through the Salvation Army to help with the cost of building a sand dam in Kenya. These constructions raise the water table around an area providing clean drinking water and water for growing crops in an area of erratic rainfall where people often have to trek miles to get it.
More information at https://www.utoonidevelopment.org/
The other is to help raise money to buy a truck for our Missionary Partners, Keith and Ida Waddell who work in Zambia. They have had amazing success in the fields of health and education, but one thing they need is a truck to transport equipment and supplies. We, along with some other churches in Scotland, are being asked to contribute to the funds required to buy a truck. As well as the offerings on Christmas Eve, the proceeds from the refreshments on Santa Day upstairs in the Duchess Anne will also be going to these projects.
Kirk Session
The next regular meeting of the Kirk Session is on January 21st. at 7.30pm. in the Duchess Anne.
Elders’ Conference
On the afternoon of January 26th. there will be an elders’ meeting to consider more deeply the theme of Pastoral Care. This will be in Little Dunkeld. Elders are asked to bring their own packed lunch and then there will be some sessions organised to explore how we can work out a pastoral care plan.
More details will be sent out in due course.
Fellowship Group
‘Exploring faith and life together’
Two Fellowship Groups meet, fortnightly, one on a Tuesday evening at 7pm and the other on Wednesday mornings at 10.30am, both in the Chanonry. Tuesday group – December 3rd. & 17th. Wednesday group – December 4th.
If you find it difficult to come in person, it is possible to join by this zoom link:
Meeting ID: 898 7502
Passcode: 809745
Men’s Breakfast
The smell of bacon and sausages will once again be wafting out of the Chanonry as the Men’s Breakfast gets started again. It starts at 9am and meets fortnightly. Upcoming dates are December 4th & 18th. There will be a break over the Christmas season and it will start up again on January 8th. There is no need to book; just turn up and enjoy and all are welcome.
Booking halls
Anyone who would like to book either the Duchess Anne or the Chanonry for meetings and events should contact Jill McCrory on chanonrydunkeld@gmail.com
Pilgrimage News
We are delighted to announce that the Cathedral has been invited to become an organisational member of the Scottish Pilgrimage Route Forum, which is the foremost authority on pilgrimage routes throughout Scotland. The intention of the Forum is to re-instate the Cathedral to its rightful place on the St Columba Way, from Iona to St Andrew’s. For more information contact Rosie Mackie on 07968 183407
Episcopal Church News
1st Thursday of the month 2-3pm - interactive ‘ALL TOGETHER NOW’ concert. For those living with memory challenges and their families. There will be a break in January.
1st Sunday of the month - Ecumenical quiet healing service 6:30pm please note December is at St Marys and January is at Little Dunkeld church alternating thereafter.
3rd Sunday of the month - Every Age service. A contemporary and interactive hour of worship Friday evenings 5:30 - 6 pm A Quaker style Silence and Supper service at the St Mary’s rectory. A non denominational silent half an hour to contemplate peace, and to just be present with God. Followed by a simple supper and fellowship together. Please let Rev’d Lesley -Ann know if you wish to attend .
Our regular Sunday services are at 10 am ; all are welcome in this place.
Christmas week at St Mary’s ; all are welcome.
Christmas at St Mary’s Episcopal Church
A Musical and interactive Nativity; written by Colleen and Andy 21st December 3pm bring family & friends
Three Churches in the Community
Church Services and Contacts:
and enjoy the beginnings of a lovely Christmas week. Lessons and carols 22nd December 10am in place of our usual Sunday service. Festive refreshments after.
Scottish Book of Common Prayer short said and reflective service 10 am Christmas Eve. A time of quiet to set aside the muddle of tinsel and wrapping paper and let God be God.
Christmas day 10am let us ring out those bells and be glad. Christmas hats and jumpers on!! No refreshments after but if you would like to have your Christmas dinner with Rev’d Lesley-Ann and others at 1pm, please let her know. No cost, just bring a dish from the list which will be provided on request.
The final service of 2024 is on the 29th December 10 am Blessings as we journey on together Lesley-ann+
St Mary’s traditional wreath making
shopping on the 6th December. Therefore to make your Christmas experience doubly delightful this year the wreath making will be held at 3pm-6pm . You will have lots of time then to shop until you drop . £10 donation to cover our costs and BYOB and Cakes!
3 Churches Charity Shop
You never know who is going to come into the 3 Churches Charity Shop. One day a middle aged couple came in, they seemed extremely happy. It turned out that they had just come from Gretna Green where they had been secretly married. It was lovely to be a tiny part of their special day. They had known each other for many years and had finally decided to ‘tie the knot’. On another occasion an American couple visiting from North Dakota came in. The lady bought a warm jumper to help her through the extremes of cold in her home town. She was so delighted with her purchase that she insisted on taking a photo of my partner and me so that she could show it to her friends back home… fame at last!
Christmas at Birnam Roman Catholic Church
Advent Penitential Monday 16 December Service at St Brides Church, Pitlochry 6pm
Christmas Eve Mass at 4.00pm Birnam RC Church
Christmas Carols 7.30 pm and Midnight Mass 8pm at St Brides Pitlochry
Christmas Day Mass 9.30 am at Our Lady of Mercy, Aberfeldy Mass 11.30 at St Brides Pitlochry
Weekly Services
Church of Scotland:
Dunkeld Cathedral at 11am.
Every Sunday from Easter Sunday to Remembrance Sunday.
Little Dunkeld Kirk at 11am.
Every Sunday from the Sunday following Remembrance Sunday to Palm Sunday.
The Chanonry, 07808 703641 email: office@dunkeldcathedral.org www.dunkeldcathedral.org
St Mary’s Episcopal Church, Birnam
Sunday Service 10 am - Holy Communion with hymns, music and sermon, followed by refreshments.
The church is open daily for visitors, and prayers are said at 5.30pm on Fridays and 9.30am on Saturday.
The Servite service is now held monthly on the last Saturday of each month at 2pm and is led ecumenically by members of the three churches in Dunkeld and Birnam. It is not a communion service.
The Rector: Reverend Lesley-Ann Craddock Priest in Charge of St Mary’s Birnam and Dunkeld St Mary’s rectory, St Mary’s Rd, Birnam, PH8 0BJ Tel: 07903 020509 email: lesley.craddock@btinternet.com
Part time = Friday, Saturday & Sunday I can also be found dwelling nr Loch Ness 01456486663
Dunkeld is a village with a long history of Christian worship and we are pleased to continue that worship at St Columba’s in Birnam.
Parish Priest: Fr Emmanuel Adindu MSP (Missionary of St Paul) Tel: 01796 472 174
Email: stbridespitlochry@dunkelddiocese.org.uk
Serving St Columba’s RC church in Birnam/ Dunkeld, St Bride’s RC church in Pitlochry and Our Lady of Mercy RC church in Aberfeldy. Follow us on Facebook at: St Bride’s RC Church, Pitlochry.
We celebrate the presence of the Risen Lord amongst us during these Masses: Sunday Masses:-
Saturday Vigil 6pm St Columba’s Birnam
Sunday 9.30 am Our Lady of Mercy Aberfeldy
Sunday 11.30 am St Bride’s Pitlochry
Weekday Masses:9.30 am Tue - Aberfeldy 9.30 am Wed, Thur, Fri - Pitlochry
Holy days of Obligation:9.30am Birnam 12.30pm Aberfeldy 6.00pm Pitlochry
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available prior to mass in St Columba’s. Please phone Father to arrange it.
If there are any parishioners who are housebound and wish the Sacrament of Holy Communion, let Father know and this will be arranged.
St Columba’s, St Mary’s Road, Birnam PH8 0BJ St. Bride’s, Rie-Achan Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5AL Our Lady of Mercy, Home Street, Aberfeldy PH15 2AL Father Emmanuel in.
Five ways you can bring light and hope to families this Christmas
We are Christians Against Poverty (CAP) so it won’t surprise you that, as Christians, we love Christmas! However, winter can be really challenging for those living in poverty. Together with local churches, CAP provides free debt advice and other services, alongside emergency aid to households struggling to heat their homes and afford food. More than ever, the values of Christmas – like kindness, being a cheerful giver, and spreading hope and joy in your community – are so important. Here are five ways you can be a light to others in need.
1. Host a Christmas open house
Consider what you can do for others in your neighbourhood. Inviting people round to an open house or community space, to a place of warmth with food and good company, could be just what they need to lift their spirits. This simple act showing you care can go a long way to making people feel valued and supported.
2. Volunteer at a charity
This Christmas, some people won’t even have access to a hot meal or a roof over their head. Charities and churches with soup kitchens, food banks, shelters and other outreach programmes are always looking for willing volunteers to help them out. If you have some time to spare, why not give it away and contribute to bringing vital relief to others in your local area?
3. Make Christmas hampers to give to those in need
Making Christmas hampers is a fun and rewarding thing to do as a family – even the children can take part and contribute. Giving a hamper can be as simple or elaborate as you like, and serves to provide practical help to those struggling financially. Such a gesture eases the loneliness and despair that those grappling with debt may be feeling, and sends a message of hope and goodwill this Christmas. CAP Highland Perthshire, together with Breadalbane Community Larder will be delivering around 20 hampers to families and individuals in our community.
4. Encourage people to seek free support
Encourage those who are struggling financially to get in touch with a local church and see what support they can provide, as many churches offer a range of practical and emotional help to ease financial pressure and see lives transformed. In partnership with CAP, Aberfeldy Church provides free debt help, budgeting guidance and help with benefit applications. Many churches also offer food shops, warm spaces and emergency aid.
5. Help provide emergency aid
In partnership with CAP, hundreds of churches are providing emergency aid this winter, such as energy top-ups, food shops and school uniforms to families in desperate circumstances. But they urgently need your support. If you’re in a fortunate position to be able to give financially, you can make a huge difference this Christmas. To make a donation, contact angelahanvey@capuk.org or call on 07513 652597 for more details.
The St Mary’s traditional wreath making date is the same as the late night
OLD FASKALLY CHRISTMAS TREES
Christmas is coming - O rder N O w !
Christmas trees direct from the grower in Pitlochry!
Premium Nordmann Fir & Fraser Fir
5ft £40 • 6ft £48 • 7ft £56
8ft £64 • 9ft £90 • 10ft £100
Standard Nordmann Fir
5ft £32 • 6ft £40 • 7ft £48 • 8ft £56
Christmas Tree Stands £30
Larger trees available upon request. All subject to availability.
Phone, WhatsApp, text: 07483 176791
FREE delivery available within 2 miles of Balnadrum Farm. £8.00 delivery to PH8 and PH9 postcodes.
Pick up your own at Old Faskally Christmas Trees 9.30am to 5pm, 7 days per week from Monday 25th November until Friday 20th December 2024.
Balnadrum Farm, East Moulin Road Pitlochry PH16 5ER
@OldFaskallyChristmasTrees
@old_faskally_contracting
Join us at 4.30pm to switch
on the Christmas lights at Birnam Hotel, followed by mince pies & mulled wine or juice at Chattan, before heading over to The Cross to light up Dunkeld.
WRAP ® Wellbeing Training
Rivendell provides high quality care and support for you and your elderly relative. Based in Birnam and Dunkeld our homely environment provides a safe and fun community spirit. Our trained staff provide care and support for all your needs 24 hours a day, we are always there.
Join us for a two day free WRAP® workshop to self-reflect, learn skills and build an action plan for early intervention and prevention, to support your wellbeing. 17th & 24th Sept 2024 9-3pm both days
So, if you are looking for social contact, a safe and supportive environment, support with health or medical needs then contact us. Our mission is to provide a home for life, so come and with us.
Please phone 01350 727413 and speak to Gina or email: manager@rivendellcarehome.co.uk.com for more information.
Calcutta Trek Atholl Estates
Saturday 22nd Feb 2025
Tartan up your 4x4 and join us for one of our iconic treks through Atholl Estates before arriving back at our lochside location
Nature and Climate
Repair Cafe
Bin it? No Way!!
We had a very successful and busy 2nd birthday session in November complete with chocolate birthday cake.
Next Cafe – Monday 2nd December Venue –Birnam Arts in the Arts Studio 3pm to 6pm
Have you still got things stored away waiting to be mended? Jumper with a hole in? Broken ornament? Lamp with a loose wire? Broken zip? Broken ornament?
Anything portable - bring them on 2nd Service by volunteers is free. Only cost might be for spare parts. Donations welcome.
Come along and have a tea or a coffee and we’ll see if we can help. We’ll also pass on repair skills if you want to learn to fix things.
Note – No cafe in January. February 3rd Feb is the first cafe in 2025
Contact for queries dbrepaircafe@gmail.com
Food Share
We will be moving the Duchess Anne stall to the side of the traditional Christmas manger for the Christmas season and the fridge/freezer will be inside the Duchess Anne temporarily.
We also hope to have the fridge/freezer set up at St Marys Church very soon.
Please keep checking the tables and feel free to enjoy the donations. Thanks to all who add their own surplus food, baking and produce.
Unfortunately we can’t deal with non-food recycling, so we have to ask that clothes and other objects are not left on the tables.
We’ve lost a few volunteers and would really welcome anyone who could spare an hour every four weeks to collect the food from the Coop and distribute it between Dunkeld and Birnam, Please contact Jan Silburn on 07881 813 835 or j.silburn@ btinternet.com
Food Bank
Everyone is welcome to share the food tables, but if you need extra help with regular or one-off donations of food please contact the confidential number 01350 700018, or email PH8foodbank@ gmail.com.
Donations for the food bank can be left in the Coop.
At the Field
News from the Orchard
As another year draws to a close during which the orchard has provided us with both fruit and the opportunity to wander, sit and work together in this beautiful space we are grateful for this important haven for our community and nature.
During our harvest this year we found that the apples were prolific, but quite small - and more and more blighted by scab, which tastes okay but looks unsightly! The pickers used the ladders and long-handled picker to concentrate on the higher branches. Increasingly we are glad to report that people are picking their own fruit. Nevertheless, we recorded and put in the display trays, or boxed and distributed amongst less-able neighbours:- 20 kilos of early Worcesters, 175 kilos of Bramley cookers, 82 kilos of blemish-free Russet eaters and 24 kilos of excellent quality Victoria plums. Picking continued on Fridays after our main push on “Big Apple Day” at the end of September and we also had a further juicing session. Many of us are still enjoying apples of many varieties, whether fresh from storage, stewed from our freezers, dried apple rings, chutneys etc. Is it possible to eat too much crumble?!
Over the past weeks volunteers have been tidying things up (but not so much as to destroy important habitats for wildlife!) – for example, removing branches that are beginning to encroach on our neighbours’ properties in Bruce Gardens, removing saplings (including sycacmore and ash) and suckers, fixing stakes and rabbit nets etc. We have also reduced the height of some of the plum trees and completely removed a few trees which have never borne fruit and some old stumps to avoid trip hazards and make life easier for the mowing team.
This year we have welcomed some new faces to our regular work sessions and on an ad hoc basis and we are always keen to hear from more people from the local area who would like to get involved. Right now we are keen to recruit more people to “adopt” a group or row of trees – you can do this as a couple, family or other group. A key task over the winter is seasonal pruning when we will be doing a bit of careful “taming” of some of the more vigorous trees, including our favourite Bramleys and Russets, and thinning out the centres to reduce the risk of infection where branches cross and rub.
If you would like to help don’t worry if your weekly schedule means you can’t commit on a regular day – we can brief you as to what needs doing when so you can fit in seasonal care for “your” trees on days/times to suit. And don’t worry if you feel you don’t know anything/ enough about fruit tree care – we can point you in the right direction! It is really satisfying to watch the progress of your trees through the year, from their leafless winter skeletons, through the beauty of their blossom in spring and to the fruits, literally, of your labours at the autumn harvest time. If you would like to get involved with occasional and/or regular jobs (from small/light to larger/heavier) please contact Katharine 01350 727048 or email dunkeldbirnamorchard@gmail.com Thanks as ever to all our volunteers and supporters.
In January, with a particular focus in the southwest of the UK where apple growing and cidermaking have long been a very important part of the culture and economy, some orchard groups will “wassail” – this is an ancient tradition which, according to trade body Cider. uk.com, “that has roots dating back to the 8th Century. The word wassail is derived from the Anglo Saxon ‘wes hal’ meaning ‘be whole’, or as we would say today, ‘good health’. Wassailing harks back to a time when rural communities had no knowledge of weather systems, climate patterns or fruit biennialism. Instead, their approach to ensuring a bountiful harvest in the forthcoming autumn was to appeal to the apple gods and goddesses, ward evil spirits from the orchards and attract benevolent insects and birds to the trees.” This celebration, according to the National Trust, involves music, song and dancing and traditionally took place on Twelfth Night. Today, wassails take place between late December and February. Pieces of toast are hung in the branches of the oldest tree, apparently to attract robins as they were believed to the guardians of the orchard. Cider is poured around the roots of the tree, while pots and pans are clattered to ward off any evil spirits and wake the trees from their winter slumber. A wassail drink of local ale or cider blended with honey and spices sounds rather nice too!
Does anyone fancy wassailing our orchard after Christmas?!
Following our AGM on 1st November 48 Volunteers and members of Dunkeld and Birnam community growing @the Field enjoyed a spectacular menu of dishes made from Field produce and local venison at the Harvest supper. Participants asserted that the quality of fare could not have been bettered by any of our fine local restaurants! The mild weather over the last week has enabled us to manage some of the hedges, wildflower meadows and undergrowth bounding our growing area. It has even been warm enough to enjoy coffee outside more frequently than in the summer months and the autumn colours surrounding us have been stunning !
We are now harvesting winter crops for sale at the Field gate stall which is stocked on Thursdays and Saturdays. We will continue to do this as long as produce lasts . We still have a quantity of Leeks, onions, beetroot, Parsnip, Carrots, Brassica and stored apples and tatties to provide seasonal produce for Christmas dinners.
We have planned next years rotation and will be spreading dung and compost and scything green manures in preparation for Spring ploughing. We do not plough in the winter as this releases carbon and allows the winter rain to leach nutrients from the soil, Our soil is therefore only exposed for a brief period in the early summer before crops, green manure (and weeds!) seal it again. If you would like to join us on work days (Thursday and Saturday mornings) over the winter we would be delighted to see you.
Raymond Simpson
Nature and Climate
Dunkeld and Birnam in Bloom
Well as the year comes to an end we have successfully planted out all the bulbs for next years Spring colour. Begonia and Dalhia corms are drying off before being stored for the Winter. Leaves in both St Ninian’s Gardens and Torwood Park continue to be swept up and probably will be for the next few weeks.
Update on the Alium seed planting is they are already coming through the ground in force and if the cold weather doesn’t slow them down we could have a bumper crop.
The beautiful Winter flowering Helleborus buds have started to appear, as picture shows, in St Ninian’s Gardens.
If the weather is kind we will continue to meet on a Monday morning at 10am in St Ninian’s Garden, Dunkeld and Torwood Park, Birnam, where anyone is welcome to join us. I wish all the volunteers who generously help maintain the gardens, donate money and offer their advice a very Merry Christmas and best of wishes for 2025
Thank you, Moira (07931 758 456)
Paths and Nature Action Group
Group members started work on the path from Polney Loch to Cally Car Park. This is a very popular and scenic local route through some brilliant nature – but is worn, very wet and muddy in parts.
Overhanging bushes were cut back and some mud scraped away to reveal the old path surface below. By the loch, the path runs along an embankment, close to the water level, and there is little scope for new drains. These sections need new material to raise and restore the path surface – and we hope to proceed when we find a source of suitable gravel and volunteers to shift it.
Towards Cally, a culvert taking a small flashy burn under the path was blocked by a fallen tree and a build-up of gravel – forcing water to flow over the path. The group spent a few hours removing tons of gravel and sand from the channel to re-open the culvert. With great sense of achievement (and relief) the effect was immediate, and the wide overflowing burn was quickly reduced to a puddle. We’ll need to keep an eye on this culvert to try and prevent it becoming blocked again. If you would like to help maintain and improve our local paths, please get in touch. There are many ways in which you could help – from reporting issues, to cutting back bushes, to planning and carrying out more energetic tasks like above. Stewart stewartpritchard@aol.com
Dùn Coillich hosts thrift shop in time
for Christmas
Instead of resorting to Amazon to buy Christmas presents this year, why not keep it local and hunt for something special that means you’ll be giving to charity at the same time?
The Aberfeldy Thrift Shop is a brilliant place to find pre-loved items that you wouldn’t find anywhere else.
It’s a great way of doing your bit for the planet by giving something another lease of life - and it raises money for local causes that take it in turns to host.
Kicking off the Sunday 15th December week will be a team of volunteers from Dùn Coillich, the community-owned landscape regeneration and rural skills training project between Aberfeldy and Tummel Bridge.
Managed by Highland Perthshire Communities Land Trust, the charity has three core aims: to restore biodiversity, support rural skills development, and encourage people of all ages to embrace the outdoors.
Alongside the host of treasures you’ll find in the shop will be limited edition calendars, created with the help of local landscape photographer Ian Biggs, owner of The Shed Gallery in Kinloch Rannoch.
Loch of the Lowes
With winter setting in, we’re at that time of year when there’s a change of guard in the wildlife you can see at Loch of the Lowes and across many areas of Scotland. Summer residents including osprey, swifts, swallows and sand martins are now well on their way (or have already arrived) to their wintering grounds, while our winter visitors are starting to make their annual appearance.
Whooper Swans and Pink Footed Geese have braved the North Sea, migrating from Iceland and Greenland to escape the impending ice that’ll block them off from their open-water food sources. The latter of those two birds have arrived on mass across our landscape, having travelled from their breeding grounds before winter sets in. Redwing and Brambling have ventured from FennoScandinavia being ‘pushed’ southwards by poorer berry crops further North and our warmer winter climate (thanks to the Gulf Stream) has attracted visitors such as Woodcock and wintering Blackcap Warbler from Russia and Central/Southern Europe respectively.
With this influx in new visitors, dusk and dawn are now filled with the impressive honking chorus from the geese that are temporarily calling Lowes home for the winter. During the day, wildlife watching from our hides is now being accompanied by the soundtrack of the whistling wigeon that are out on the Loch.
It’s also that time of year when going for a stroll in deciduous woodlands may offer you the opportunity to see quick flashes of scurried activity from our only native squirrel species. Red squirrels are rushing around in search of the bounty our woodland habitats offered up during Autumn. Nuts, seeds, cones and berries: all perfect food sources for red squirrels to carefully cache away for their winter meals.
Ian’s stunning images feature Dùn Coillich at its best throughout the year, a great way of enjoying this special place through the seasons.
You’ll find Aberfeldy Thrift Shop at the Auld Kirk in Chapel Street. Why not come along and meet us, raise money for a good cause and pick up an extra special gift at the same time?
Volunteering carries on through winter, so join us on the hill and work off the seasonal blues! Visit www.duncoillich.org to discover more about the Trust, and to find out about the training, volunteering and walking options on offer.
Despite their meticulous efforts to store enough food for the coldest season of the year, red squirrels are somewhat absent-minded, forgetting where much of their thoroughly stored food is. Despite this, our native squirrel’s forgetfulness plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy woodland ecosystems. Forgotten nuts and seeds grow into new trees which will become our future forests and the dispersal of fungi by red squirrels throughout these woodlands will help keep them healthy and disease resilient ecosystems.
Visitor Centre Open 10.30am – 4pm, Fri – Sun. Loch of the Lowes, Dunkeld, PH8 0HH. 01350 727337.
lochofthelowes@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk
Group member James Jarvis stands by the overflowing burn before we started work - now it just looks like a path covered in leaves
Community Noticeboard
Thirty-five years ago, a group of local people from Birnam & Dunkeld decided to arrange an event in the community for local children to be able to visit Santa. Over the 35 years, Dunkeld & Birnam Santa Day has continued to be run by members of the local community. This is truly a community event and is very well supported by the local businesses and residents.
Throughout the years there have been several different organisers but in the last 10 years Lachlan and I have been running Santa Day for the community. We decided at the beginning of this year that 2024 would be our final year. We have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of this event, but it now needs others to step forward and take the reins.
We cannot go without saying a few Thank Yous. The group have raised funds, from Silent Auctions to Bingo Teas to Quiz Nights to Tombolas. Without the support of many of the local businesses, we wouldn’t have been able to run Santa Day. We cannot thank you all enough for your support and donations over the years. Thanks also to The Bridge for consistently allowing us to promote Santa Day free of charge.
Thank you to all the organisations and small
Meeting Place
We are in the Duchess Anne on a Friday morning from 10-12 with tea and coffee and lovely, tasty home baking.
Weather permitting we will be open EVERY Friday during the Christmas and New Year holiday time. Please come and join us.
Many thanks to everyone who supported our Air Ambulance Coffee Morning. A donation of £381 was handed over at the end of the morning.
Thank you Poppy Scotland
Many thanks to my army of volunteers (George, Fraser , Sheila, Senga and Sue), also to all local businesses and residents who have helped to raise more than £3050 for Poppy Scotland Isobel Price (Area Organiser)
Emergency Defibrillators
A Fond Farewell
businesses that have continued to take stalls at the event and provide an added bonus for visitors, with all the wonderful items they have for sale. Thank you to all the entertainers that have attended over the years, as you have helped make the event the success it is.
We don’t normally single anyone out, but we would like to thank Alasdair Wylie (Kettles of Dunkeld) for his unwavering and constant support throughout the years. He attends all our meetings and has sponsored many different things over the years. We would also like to mention James Rae who was the General Manager in the Birnam Hotel. Over the years, when people requested to use the toilets in the hotel, James said no problem, as long as they made a donation to Santa Day!! He also provided us a room for Santa to be able to get ready for going on the sleigh. On the day, James would sell soup, mince pies and mulled wine and all the money he collected would be given to Santa Day.
For the 35 years of the event, the Cairngorm Reindeer have attended every year (except during covid) and they have been by far, the biggest attraction for our visitors. They are a wonderful addition to the event and we would
Birnam Library is situated in the Birnam Arts Centre, Station Road, Birnam, PH8 0DS Tel : 01738 459709
Birnam Library is run by Culture Perth and Kinrossa charitable trust bringing art, culture, books, learning, creative communities and local history and heritage to people across the whole of Perth and Kinross. https://www.culturepk.org.uk/
like to thank Fiona and her team for their expertise and professionalism.
We also have to mention our team, without whom we could not have run the event over the years. Thank you so much to Lynne, Laura, Nikki, Peter, Euan, Una, Rhoda, Sue, Julie, Christine and Cameron for all you support and assistance throughout the years. We have a special thank you for our boys, Ramsay and Callum. Since we started organising Santa Day our boys have had no choice but to get involved too. They have been fantastic in getting stuck in and have continued to help organise every year. We would love to be able to thank each and every person individually who has donated prizes, sponsorship, time, venues or equipment but it would take up the whole of The Bridge!! Finally, thank you to Santa for being there on the day and making around 300 children happy every year.
The Birnam Arts Centre
North Car Park Toilets Dunkeld
Brodies Sawmill Inver
The Community Telephone Box, Butterstone
The Community Telephone Box, Willowbank,Birnam
Amulree Village Hall
Caputh Village Hall
Dalguise Village Hall
BASC office Trochry
Auchnacloich Farm, Amulree Dunkeld and Birnam Golf Club Office Wall, Erigmore Holiday Park
Davidson’s Chemist Dunkeld Inver Caravan Park
All these defibrillators are located externally and give 24 access Contact shoetrees@btinternet.com
THE PLANT NURSERY KINDALLACHAN
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Merry Christmas Everyone and Keep The Magic Alive.
West Countlich Farm, Kindallachan, Near Ballinliug, PH9 0NW
See page 21 for all information about this year’s Santa Day
SEPTEMBER SALE
Saturday 21st September 9.00am - 4.30pm HUGE REDUCTIONS
From
Gillian and Lachlan MacEwan
How to find us: turn off the A9 at Kindallachan and follow the signs to the nursery. 07554 008058 nursery@alexbutter.co.uk www.alexbutter.co.uk
Support emergency response in Lebanon
I’m writing on behalf of The Free Shop, a charity based in Lebanon. We prevent and relieve poverty among families living in the Bekaa Valley, through distributing thousands of aid items every week. This ensures families can have quality of life, and save the little funds they have to secure their shelter, food, and medical care. Our work is completely refugee led, and supports all nationalities in need, including Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese, building stronger communities in the face of regional conflicts. The charity is governed by a board of trustees, including myself, Abbie Swan, a local resident of Dunkeld & Birnam.
Dog Chaperone for Weddings Ad Hoc / One Off Dog Walks for One Household at a time Day or up to 1 Night Dog Sitting Cat and Hen Visits 07774 294610 Hello@solopaws.co.uk On Facebook and Instagram
Since September 23rd, Lebanon has experienced expansive attacks from Israel in the south. These attacks have left thousands injured or dead, and there are currently over 1.4 million internally displaced people. Many of those who have been displaced have fled to the Bekaa Valley, where our team have launched an emergency response and have been working tirelessly to provide temporary housing, distribute food and water, mattresses, bedding and hygiene products.
To keep helping those in need, we require funding to support this emergency response. If you feel able to donate and would like to, please visit our website: https://www.thefreeshoplb.org And if you would like to know more about the project, please email abbie@thefreeshoplebanon.org.
Thank you for reading
RBS mobile bank visits Dunkeld Birnam. Thursdays: Dunkeld, The Cross 14.50 pm to 15.20 pm Birnam,
Glack Dog Kennels
Notes from a Councillor
A Happy Golden Anniversary to The Bridge, keeping residents of Dunkeld, Birnam and district informed over the last 50 years
Following on from Cllr Grant Laing’s story in last month’s Bridge, about the purchase of the NTS properties I too, am delighted to have assisted in bringing the opportunity forward. The housing team at PKC have been and will continue to work closely with the tenants to ensure a smooth change over. I
Perth Museum continues to attract visitors with just over 200,000 since opening. The second exhibition, Waters Rising has also been popular. The story of flooding over the centuries. The museum has also been shortlisted for Museum Opening of the Year award by Apollo- The International Art Magazine. An accolade for all involved.
From 6th January, the pavement parking ban (Transport Scotland 2019 Act) will be enforced by parking attendants. Penalty charge notices will be issued for vehicles, parking across dropped kerbs or parking on or blocking pavements. This is following a soft lead in over the last couple of months where advisory notices have been issued.
It has been great to see the traffic lights on Perth Road, Birnam completed along with the bus stops marked outside Bruce Gardens, many residents have expressed thanks. It is good to be able to deliver a community positive! Claire McLaren
I wish all a Joyous Festive Season and a Happy New Year
News from our Community Council
Dunkeld and Birnam Community Council
The next meeting of the Community Council will be the AGM on December 9th at the Royal British Legion 19:00 – 21:00
The following meeting will be on Monday 13th January
For updates on the Dunkeld and Birnam Community Council please see their facebook posts and Twitter posts on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DandBCC/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DandBCC #DandBCC E-mail the community council: dbcc.correspondence@gmail.com
JOHN SWINNEY, MSP for PERTHSHIRE NORTH can be contacted at: 17-19 LESLIE STREET, BLAIRGOWRIE Tel: 01250 876576
Christmas Greetings from The Community Archive Year Review
2024 has been a busy year for the Archive, both in activities undertaken and in our ambition for the future. Midweek Memories goes from strength to strength with members bringing in old photographs and memorabilia, adding to our understanding of the past. Meanwhile, the Young Archaeologists Club engages young people in their local heritage, investigating archaeological sites and historic places. Their December guest speaker, Bob Carchie, worked on the King’s Seat site and will be explaining the mapping of archaeological sites from the air. Meanwhile, at the core of the Archive , Ruth and Imogen continue to curate our local heritage, making it available for display and for access to researchers. One key find, whose significance was discovered by local musician Munro Gauld, was a set of unpublished music by James MacIntosh of Inver. This led to a highly successful concert, play and exhibition celebrating the seamless thread of local musical tradition stretching back to Niel Gow. Our Archive is buried treasure just waiting to be found. (The Archive is open Monday-Friday 10.00am-3.00pm or find us on historicdunkeld.co.uk )
Events
Our Living History Weekend was well attended again, providing insight into the costumes, pastimes and indeed conflicts of our ancestors, but it’s expensive to run and any sponsorship offers for next year would be greatly appreciated. And our series of historical talks is now well under way ( see Archive Website), with a special event , ‘A Nicht Fou O’ Scots’ featuring songs, poetry and story-telling, planned for Friday 6 December at 7.30pm in the Duchess Anne.
Looking Ahead
So, we run groups, host events and display artefacts. But we’ve very limited space for display. We’d love to find an appropriate space big enough to tell the incredible story of this area and recently we were successful in securing funding for a Development Officer, Liz Sutton, to guide us on the road towards a community heritage centre. We’ve formed a development group, but before we go any further we’d like to hear your views on what such a centre might look like. What might it contain ? How might it contribute to community life ? That’s why we’ll be holding a public event in late January to start the process of community engagement. Details of the venue, date and time we will post on the Archive Website later this month.
Meantime, if you have time and talents to share, we’re keen to engage more trustees to help the Board on the next stage of its journey. Contact Ruth at archives@ historicdunkeld.co.uk.
Moore House Group Dunkeld Campus
As we settle into autumn here at Moore House Group - Dunkeld Campus, we are busy lifting our final harvests of tomatoes, potatoes and courgettes from our polytunnel and this week our primary children helped plant up strawberries and raspberries for next year. We have also been amazed at the success of our grapes this year, although they still taste a little bit sour…
In Woodwork we have started designing our new upcycling project to build a fort in the garden next week. Meanwhile, following a generous donation from the Hugh Fraser Foundation, six of our children have drawn up their own designs for us to plan and develop a sensory garden outside two of our classrooms. These will be judged by our estates staff and board
members and we can’t wait to see which design wins so that we can start planning and digging! We are also delighted to welcome five new children to our campus in the last fortnight! Adjusting to a new school is always difficult but things may well have been made easier with our Halloween day activities where staff, children and young people alike dressed up in some amazing costumes, ranging from a giant inflatable chicken to a mad scientist and (as you can see above) a very relaxed Ghostface, who thoroughly enjoyed reading our copy of The Bridge. We had a variety of competitions such as best costumes and, of course, the best carved pumpkins. On top of all this activity the children made and decorated their own biscuits, chocolate covered apples and marshmallow ghost kebabs. To round off the day we also entered The Moore House Group Halloween video competition and came third! We are already planning “ spooktacular” events and ghoulish goings-on for next year following on from this year’s success.
Halloween was swiftly followed the next day by our Showcase Event here on campus. Council representatives, education professionals and prospective parents were invited to a small event during which the aims and ethos of The Moore House Group - Dunkeld Campus were discussed and followed by an open Question and Answer session and tour of the schools and grounds.
If you would like to learn more about The Jane Moore Trust or The Moore House Group - Dunkeld Campus, please visit our websites: www.janemooretrust.org.uk and www.moorehousegroup.org.uk
Historic Dunkeld Events
Tickets £5 via historicdunkeld.org.uk, from the Archive or on the door.
The Portent of the Shadow
An eerie tale for Christmas.
Friday 6th December7:30pm - Duchess Anne.
Join us after your Christmas shopping, to coorie in and listen to a spinechilling, supernatural tale with Victorian lady Euphemia Ramsay who shares the winter tradition of telling a ghostly story.
**Just Announced**
A Nicht Fou o Scots
Friday 17th January 2025 - 7:30pm - Duchess Anne.
Sangs, poems and stories in the Scots leid wi singer Lynne Martin, poet Jim Mackintosh and storyteller Lindsey Gibb.
Community Meeting Regarding the Future of Birnam Library
Saturday 14th December
11:30 – 1pm presentation 12:15 at Birnam Arts
As some readers will be aware, Birnam Library is under imminent threat of closure – possibly as soon as the end of March 2025. Background to this has been documented in letters to The Bridge, and related articles over the past few months – ever since a previous threat was alleviated by some extra funding provide for the current budget year – up to the end of March 2025 - by Perth and Kinross Council (PKC). This appears very unlikely to happen again.
Culture Perth and Kinross (CPK), which has PKC as its only member, is responsible for providing museums, galleries and libraries in our area. CPK has shared funding challenges it is now facing for the next
budget year, running from April 2025 – this has led to the identification of five libraries across the PKC area as under threat.
At a recent meeting – to which only active Birnam Library users were invited - CPK outlined that it costs at least £30k a year to run the library, as well as sharing some PKC-wide statistics about usage rates. CPK also outlined that they considered there to be two options available for Birnam Library –
• one being run as a community led initiative, including a volunteer model;
• and another as a community funded model, retaining stronger links with CPK.
Both models retain some access to CPK systems, but with limitations relative to the current offering. Of course neither of these might be identified by the community as the ideal way ahead. Given this context, an informal group of people have come together to explore what realistic options could be available to retain the library – and in the absence of any other forum, to offer a place for dialogue with Culture Perth and Kinross.
This informal group has managed a further, more in-depth meeting, with CPK – however the group claims no mandate to speak for the community, and recognising this, is hosting a meeting in Birnam Arts on 14 December between 11:30am and 1pm with a presentation of available information at 12:15. The idea is to broaden, as much as possible the conversation around next steps. The timing is designed to allow those who would like to pop into the Library to do so, following which all the information held by the informal group will be presented –followed by an opportunity for a Q&A / community discussion.
Elsewhere in this copy of The Bridge you can read about some of the activities led by other members of the community from a campaign angle, seeking to keep the potential closure in the public eye.
ENDS
Save Birnam Library Campaign Update!
September and October have been busy for the Save Birnam Library Campaign. Firstly with a lively and large protest on 20th September at Birnam Library with over 100 attendees across all agesfeatured in our local press and by the BBC. There was also the launch of the online petition which now has over 700 signatures and counting! We have also written to our Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) and Councillors and have been supported by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals to outline the devastating impact of library closures on our community. As a result parliamentary discussions and meetings have taken place with public support from MSPs.
The main aim of the campaign is to raise the profile of the decision to cut funding from our rural libraries, including Birnam Library - which is facing closure from March 2025. We want Perth and Kinross Council to recognise the true value of our libraries - beyond books borrowed - and to choose to fund rural libraries in their February budget decisions. Together with communities campaigning for their libraries across Perth and Kinross we will be making sure this issue is not forgotten over the coming weeks and months! If you would like to join the campaign please contact us at: savebirnamlibrary@gmail.com And if you’ve not done so already please sign the petition! www.change.org/savebirnamlibrary
December/January ‘Stick on the Fridge’
May ‘Stick on the Fridge Page’
Local Organisations - Contact Details
Listing for local voluntary organisations are free however The Bridge welcomes donations to cover the cost of these listings. Please send donations to the Advertising Manager, John. B. Gray at Highfield, Brae Street, Dunkeld, PH8 0BA. Many thanks. Please contact the editor with amendments/additions. Phone 01350+
Organsiations - General
3 Churches Charity Shop 07751 593421 Anne Graham
Alcoholics Anonymous (Helpline) 0800 917 7650
Chapter House Museum 727786 Ruth Brown (in Dunkeld Cathedral, open 7 days) archive@historicdunkeld.org.uk
D&B Paths and Nature Action Group stewartpritchard@aol.com
Dunkeld & Birnam Historical Society 07584 434253 Dave Roberts daveroberts132@btinternet.c.om
Dunkeld & Birnam in Bloom 727288 Linda Speirs lindaladyhill@yahoo.co.uk
Birnam Arts 727674 Manager admin@birnamarts.com arts@birnamarts.com
Birnam Arts Ballet (Mon – Thurs, Emma Gray age 4 upwards & adults) ballet@birnamarts.com Cathedral Tower Bell Ringers 742218 Iona Connor lowesfarm@hotmail.com
Dunkeld Strathspey & Reel Society 07531 520476 Duncan Thomson duncanwthomson@yahoo.co.uk Film Society 727740 Tom Barnard tom_barnard@btinternet.com
Just Singin’, 7.30pm Weds (BA) 07765 405203 Katie Dalgliesh www.justsingin.co.uk
Traditional Youth Music Group 07958 324 766 Karys and Gill dbtradgroup@gmail.com and Facebook Annual Events Art Exhibition dunkeldart@aol.com Margaret Scott Arts & Crafts Fair (Apr, Aug & Nov) 727968 / 07743 400938 Na’an Meikleour poppyseednaan@yahoo.com Christian Aid Week 727867 Jim McCafferty Highland Games (August) 07880 588433 Duncan Sim duncan_sim@hotmail.com
Niel Gow Festival 07766 406313 Liam Manion (weekend closest to 22 March) LManion41@gmail.com
For Children Baby & Toddler Group 07546 128902 Lesley Singers
Nursery at Royal School of Dunkeld 01738 454470 Royal School of Dunkeld Sunday School – Church of Scotland 727249 Fraser Penny For Younger People Girlguiding Dunkeld (Rainbows, 07770 324173 Trix Stephen Brownies, Guides, Rangers) (District Commissioner)
The Black Watch Army Cadets 07429 113439 2nd Lt Craig Ross 1989ros@armymail.mod.uk
Youth Group (for P7s & 1st years, 727249 Fraser Penny Thurs 7 – 8.30pm)
May exhibition at Birnam Arts Conglomerates Jessica Ramm
BA = Birnam Arts Centre, DA = Duchess Anne Hall, The Cross, Dunkeld December
Continues until 12th Jan - The Perthshire Artisans Winter Exhibition –work for sale from local creatives and artists. Birnam Arts 10 – 4pm
1 Aging Creatively Workshop with Alison Price 60+, Free, but please book 10-12pm
2 Climate Café Community Coworking Space
2 Repair Café 3- 6pm Birnam Arts
3 Dalguise Meditation Group in person and on-line on zoom 6:30 – 8pm
4-5 10am to 5pm – Dunkeld Living History Weekend in Stanley Hill Park –Free Event
4 Dementia Café North Church Hall High Street Perth 10 – 12:30pm
3 8pm in Birnam Arts – “Dunkeld’s Dark Deeds“ performed by Lindsey Gibb at Birnam Arts – Tickets available from birnamarts.com
4 “Macbeth: Death, Bane & Birnam workshop led by Actor Joe Arkley & Shakespearean specialist Tracey Irish 2pm – Duchess Anne Hall
5-8 Robin Hood the Panto: Birnam Institute Players 5th & Fri 6th Dec: 7pm / Sat 7th: 2pm7pm / Sun 8th: 2pm Tickets: £10 Adult/£7 U16/£25 Family (2adults/2 u16s)* Birnam Arts
4 8pm in Birnam Arts – Daniel Downie: A Historical & Hysterical journey through Scottish History – Tickets available from birnamarts.com
6 Historical Society Talk Euphemia Ramsay: A Gothic Ghost Story for Solstice Duchess Ann Hall 7:30 – 9:30pm £5
6 St Mary’s traditional wreath making £10 BYOB and cake. St Mary’s Church
5 Service Help and Healing Little Dunkeld Kirk 6:30pm
6 Late Night Shopping in Dunkeld
5 Dundonnachie: Fraud & Riot In Dunkeld workshop led by Actor Joe Arkley & Shakespearean specialist Tracey Irish 10.30am – Duchess Anne Hall ~
7 Santa Day 11:30am onwards, see page 21 for detail of schedule
7 Santa Day Puppet Show: The Elves and the Shoemaker Clydebuilt Theatre 11am £6* Birnam Arts
9 DB Trad Group Christmas concert 7-8pm at Birnam Arts Tickets are free
5 4.30pm in Dunkeld Cathedral - The Scots Opera Project Present Wandering Oisin ~ A Celtic Folk Opera (Soprano Colleen Nicoll, Music by Esther Swift & David Douglas, Lyrics by Tony Bonning) – Tickets available on Eventbrite.
9 Community Council AGM and meeting 19:00 Royal British Legion
11 Gardeners and Growers Meeting – Christmas Event, Duchess Anne story of Dunkeld & Birnam Orchard and AGM Birnam Arts
8 Sho and the Demons of the Deep by Zoë Bullock Independent Arts Projects in association with National Theatre of Scotland £5 Children £12 Adults 1.30pm Dunkeld School: Free
14 Birnam Library Community Meeting concerning the future of the library 11:30 – 1pm Birnam Arts (Presentation 12:15)
10 Gardeners and Growers Club Falkland Gardens Visit acox325@gmail.com
10 Bookstall in aid of Christian Aid 10am onwards outside Duchess Anne
14 Amos & Jauncey and Friends Festive Season Concert 7.30pm £11/£13/£15/£17* Birnam Arts
10 3 Churches Charity Shop Table Top Sale Hobby/Craft Materials
11 3 Churches Charity Shop Table Top Sale Hobby/Craft Materials
11 Bookstall in aid of Christian Aid 10am onwards outside Duchess Anne
11 Print Workshop with Jessica Ramm Free,but please book. 10am-12pm Birnam Arts
16 Badger Talk by Joe Connelly, formally Strathclyde Police Wildlife Crime Coordinator, now the Species Protection and Information Officer for Scottish Badgers. 7.30pm - 8.30pm The Tryst, Church of Scotland, Church Road, Pitlochry, PH16 5EB. Suggested donation: £3 for non-members, £2 members markandrosie@btinternet.com
18 Warm Spaces: Free Wednesday Film 2pm: Scrooge: Albert Finney Birnam Arts
11 Viking Optics day 10.30am to 3.00pm. Loch of the Lowes lochofthelowes@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk
21 Christmas Movie Marathon £6 for all* Birnam Arts
The Snowman: 12:00 - 12:30
11 West Stormont Woodland Group, woodland picnic 12.00, followed by a guided walk Meet at the entrance to Taymount Wood contact@weststormontwoodlandgroup.scot
The Snowman and the Snowdog: 12:40 - 13:35 Home Alone : 14:00 - 15:45 Break: 15:45 - 16:15
11 Scotland's Garden Scheme Birnam Bank Walled Garden PH8 0BW 10-4pm £5 admission - Children free
The Muppets Christmas Carol: 16:15 - 17:45
12 Paths and Nature Actions Action Group 2 - 3.30pm stewartpritchard@aol.com
12 Songs and Silence Service at the Cathedral
21 Santa Chase - Can you stay ahead of the fleet-footed Santa? 11am from Beatrix Potter Gardens, 07784411622 if interested in running or helping!
22 Singing and Rainbows Christmas Concert 12.30pm-1.30pm £7 Birnam Arts
13 Dunkeld and Birnam in Bloom, AGM 10.30 at Dunaird House, Birnam. 17-18 James V: Katherine £12 + Booking Fee 19:30 - 21:30 Birnam Arts
17 Bookstall in aid of Christian Aid 10am onwards outside Duchess Anne
18 Orchard Group 10:30am Katharine 01350 727048 dunkeldbirnamorchard@gmail.com
24 Family Christmas Eve Walk - Meet St Ninian’s Garden at 1.30pm for a walk up to the “Grotto”. Walk is 6.7km. We will be back at St Ninian’s by 4pm. Involves some narrow paths and clambering over and under fallen trees. 07736 724113
2025 January
8 Dementia Café North Church Hall High Street Perth 10 – 12:30pm
22 Bridge Day at Birnam Arts £20 per player http://www.bridgewebs.com/bridgedays Miriam Drysdale 07747777601
13 Community Council Meeting 7pm check CC Facebook for venue
24 Budapest Café Orchestra £18 + Booking Fee 7:30pm
17 A Nicht Fou o Scots - Sangs, poems and stories in the Scots leid wi singer Lynne Martin, poet Jim Mackintosh and storyteller Lindsey Gibb 7:30pm - Duchess Anne
25-27 The Dunkeld & Birnam Spring Art & Crafts Fair The Royal Dunkeld Hotel 10-5pm daily Entry is free
26 Paths and Nature Actions Action Group 10 – 11:30 stewartpritchard@aol.com 30 A9 Community Group meeting and AGM Birnam Arts 730pm
18 Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra 2pm-4pm £5/£12/£0* Birnam Arts
18 Jan – 2nd March : Exhibition Nicky May Aches and Pains Ceramics, video/performance and installation/sculpture Birnam Arts
22 Mamma Mia: Meryl Streep Lunch 1pm - Warm Spaces Free Film and a complimentary pre-film lunch at 1pm (first 15 people) Birnam Arts
30 A9 Community Group Birnam Arts 7: 30pm February
2 Historical Society Talk Dr Andrew Paterson: Christian Icons ~ Making & Meaning Duchess Ann Hall 7:30 – 9:30pm £5
Garden Opening Sunday 12 - 5 Pm Torwood House St Marys Road Birnam. Proceeds to local charities. 2 Service Help and Healing St Mary’s Church 6:30pm 7 Beaver Breakfast 5.00 – 7am. Loch of the Lowes - Loch of the Lowes, Dunkeld, PH8 0HH (Visitor centre open 10.30am till 5.00pm daily) Tel: 01350 727 337 Email: lochofthelowes@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk
5 Just Singin’ re-starts after festive break https.//www.justsingin.co.uk
Gardeners and Growers Club Bradystone, Murthly. Propagation Workshop, Garden tour. acox325@gmail.com
Songs and Silence Service at the Cathedral
8-9 NNAS Navigator Bronze Award - 2 days, £140 at Little Dunkeld Girl Guide Hall https://walks.dunkeld.info/Navigate-With-Confidence/ 07736 724113
Kirk Session Meeting, Duchess Anne, 7:30pm
12 Gardeners and Growers Meeting Alan Horgan, Soft Fruit Growing Birnam Arts
Beaver Watch 7 - 9.30pm.
Stay up to date with all the latest info on events and activities in Dunkeld and Birnam by checking our the Community Calendar on the homepage of www.dunkeldandbirnannews.co.uk
Anne Hall, The Cross, Dunkeld
Coworking desk with use of sound proof pods for calls - £1.80 per hour - 24/7
