Great War anniversary map of Scotland made of boxes with exhibits illustrating aspects of the war relating to the area depicted.

This was an on display in the room adjoining the restaurant at the Black Watch Museum when we visited in October last year.

Last October we again visited the Black Watch Museum in Perth. This time I took better photos of the various memorials in its grounds.

Iraq Cross, 2003 and 2004. Great War anniversary fence behind:-

Iraq and Afghanistan 2007 and 2009:-

Great War Memorial. In memory of the 300 men of the Black Watch who died in the Great War. “Their name liveth for evermore”:-

Second World War Memorial. “Greater love hath no man”:-

Northern Ireland and Kosovo Memorial:-

Another memorial on Perth’s North Inch (see previous posts.)

Memorial to the 90th Light Infantry, which was raised in 1794:-

The memorial was erected in 1883:-

Perth Bridge behind:-

Also at the south end of Perth’s North Inch is a memorial to the 51st Highland Division. It takes the form of a bagpiper being thanked by a young girl.

Dedication:-

To either side of the memorial are two cairns with inset plaques.

El Alamein 50th anniversary plaque:-

51st Highland Division final reunion commemoration. Plaque donated by the people of Genner, Holland:-

On the memorial itself are several additional reliefs.

51st Highland Division Battle Honours:-

Remembrance of our liberators:-

Poem on the Memorial (by Andrew McGeever):-

Friezes of military scenes:-

An old joke has it that Perth is the smallest town in Scotland because it only has two inches. The North and South Inches are of course green spaces used for recreational purposes. They both border the River Tay.

We used to park regularly in the South Inch car park when we visited Perth. Nowadays we tend to use elsewhere.

As a result we one day strolled around the south part of the North Inch. A wall separates it from the river and on that wall is a plaque commemorating the men of Perth Co-operative Society who lost their lives in the two World Wars. It is inscribed, “1914 – 1919. To the lasting memory of the employees of the City of Perth Co-operative Society Ltd who fell in the Great War,” plus, “Also in grateful remembrance of those who sacrificed their lives in the Second World War 1939 – 1945,” and, “Their name liveth for evermore.”

From it there is this view of the river and Perth Bridge:-

Perth Bridge:-

On the same visit we popped into Perth Museum and Art Gallery. Among many other exhibits they have this old Pictish stone found at St Madoes/Inchyra in the Carse of Gowrie, Perth and Kinross.

Dunkeld is a village/town on the River Tay ten or so miles north of Perth. The bridge there which links Dunkeld to Birnam was built by Thomas Telford.

River Tay looking south from Telford’s bridge:-

This is a view of Telford’s bridge from the Birnam side of the river:-

And from the grounds of the town’s historic cathedral:-

The Cathedral was for a time closed to visitors but in 2018 we had a peek inside. Cathedral altar and stained glass windows:-

Just to the left in the photo above lies a memorial to the officers, non-commissioned officers and men of the Scottish Horse who gave their lives in the two Great Wars. “1914 -1918, Gallipoli, Egypt, Macedonia, France. 1939 – 1945, North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany.”

Below that are the words, “The souls of the righteous are in the hands of god. There shall…” the rest is obscured by the Roll of Honour. A barrier prevented me from getting any closer:-

In the square in Dunkeld itself is a memorial to the men of the Scottish Horse who died in the Boer War. I have previously mentioned it here.

Scone is a town just to the north-east of Perth in Perth and Kinross. The nearby Scone Palace was the historic crowning site for Scottish monarchs. A replica of the Stone of Scone (Stone of Destiny) lies in the Palace’s grounds.

A Celtic style cross on a tapering plinth, Scone’s War Memorial stands on a small promontory beside the cemetery to the south of the town by the A 94 road. This side has the dedication for the Great War.

The revrse side bears the World War 2 dedication:-

Great War Dedication. Reads, “To the memory of the men from the Parish of Scone who to uphold liberty laid down their lives in the Great War 1914 – 1919.” Names A – Mi:-

Great War names Mo – Ro:-

Great War names Ru – Y:-

World War 2 dedication. “Also to the memory of the men of this Parish who laid down their lives in the World War 1939 – 1945.”

Plus one name for Iraq 2003:-

Elcho Castle sits almost on the banks of the River Tay a few miles south of Perth, Scotland. It’s quite an adventure getting to it as it involves going through a farmyard, then past a small stream and millpond.

It’s worth it when you get there though.

Tower:-

Castle from grounds:-

Main staircase:-

Main hall:-

Hall from above:-

Part of roof, plus chimney and turret. River Tay in background:-

Roofs:-

Part of roof from rooftop walkway:-

Roof structure:-

The Black Watch Regiment’s Musuem is in Perth, Scotland, housed in an old castle, Balhousie Castle, Hay Street.

In the castle/museum grounds are several memorials. The entrance gates are dedicated to the memory of General Wavell.

This is a generalised one of a bagpiper but in Second World War battledress I think:-

These are memorials to various other campaigns in which the Black Watch has taken part, most prominently here, Iraq:-

When I visited in April last year this Great War commemoration took up a prominent position:-

The museum itself is very interesting and took us longer to get round than we had anticipated. This cross – an original battlefield one from the Great War – was in memory of Captain W D MacL Stewart, 2nd Lieut P R Husband and 44 NCOs and men of the 1st Battalion Black Watch, who all died on 20/9/1916.

As I recall this group of medals was awarded to Fergus Bowes-Lyon the brother of the late Queen Mother and who is commemorated on Glamis War Memorial:-

On a less sombre note the museum has an excellent cafe/restaurant in a modern building connected to the castle via the museum’s entrance and which is always very well patronised.

McDiarmid Park is the home of St Johnstone FC, and was the scene of the Challenge Cup* Final, 24/3/18.

My posts on the final are here, here and here.

Ormond Stand from access road:-

Ormond and Main Stands:-

Main Stand (stitch of two photos):-

View of North Stand:-

North Stand from Main Stand:-

East Stand:-

Ormond Stand from Main Stand:-

*Irn Bru Cup