The Fair City
of Perth sits majestically on the banks of the River Tay, one of Britain's
fastest flowing rivers, which contributed to the city becoming a major link
between the Highland and Lowland cultures.
The kings of Scots found Perth and its surroundings an attractive place to be
so the Government and Court of Scotland was situated here, if it could be
said to be situated in any particular place for some time. The kings returned
here often and were crowned sitting on the Stone of Destiny (recently
returned to Scotland) often in the grounds of nearby Scone Palace.
The city boasts a superb array of culture from the theatre through the art
galleries, symphony concerts and the unique music of Scotland in fiddle
concerts, clareach recitals and the glorious sounds of the Highland bagpipe.
It may not have been described as glorious when the
Black Watch
faced you on the battlefield, the gallant "forty twa" are intimately
connected with Perth and as Freemen may march through the town with
bayonet fixed.
We owe much to the monks of various orders for the written histories of Perth
and its surrounds, their medieval society gave the religious orders great
power, as fees and levies were connected with any commerce, trade or shipping
taking place in or around the Royal Burgh. Much of the growth of Perth at
this time was controlled by the king in whose gift the lands were held and
who's largesse or otherwise could bring wealth and position to those
fortunate enough to receive such.
Trade monopolies are nothing new it seems as the wealthy merchants and abbots
were granted sweeping powers of taxation on all trade and shopping and,
indeed, trade in wool and hide products could only legally take place within
the burgh itself. The merchants and burgesses were able, through their
merchant guilds, to dominate the earning capacity of the growing town, to the
exclusion of lesser tradesmen. Weavers and fullers were evidently not among
the favoured few.
Many of these methods had been imported by David I whose brother,
England's Henry 1, used the Norman burgh system to good effect.
The harbour played a large part in the local economy as roads were at this
time only passable by foot or horseback. Moving large loads were confined to
sea shipping, which was again taxed as were all goods as they entered through
any of the town gates on their way either to the local market or flour mills
within the city walls. Most of the then buildings were of a fairly temporary
nature, being built mainly of wood. Even the streets between the houses would
have raised walkways to avoid the mud which would have been a permanent
feature of this low lying flood prone land. (An up to date example of this
would have been the boardwalks of early towns in the United States).
Mill Lade, a canal built to power the main mills within the town, runs from
the river Almond four miles North West of Perth before dividing in two upon
reaching the city. Its Southern branch now runs under Methven Street and
Canal Street whilst the Northern branch under Murray Street, Mill Street and
George Inn Lane, combining in defence of the town by providing a continuous
moat connecting with the Tay around the city walls. This plentiful water
supply was also the mainstay of the wool and tanning industries so important
to early Perth. A part of the Mill Lade can be seen where it runs under the
foyer of the City Mills Hotel.
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Scottish Towns
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