Travel in Dunblane, Scotland - Culture- WorldTravelGate.net®

Dunblane - Culture

Today Dunblane still exudes an olde worlde charm where examples of seventeenth and eighteenth century architecture blend with Victorian and more modern buildings. The old town remains a quiet atmospheric place which provides many 'touchstones' of bygone times. The city clusters around the bridge over the River Allan and visitors can enjoy a pleasant stroll by the river banks or continue further along the Darn Walk to the nearby town of Bridge of Allan and to Stevenson's Cave, so named because the writer Robert Louis Stevenson is reputed to have composed some of his famous novels here. Less than half a mile from the town centre are the Laighills and Ochlochy Park, also offering excellent walking opportunities as well as a number of tranquil and secluded spots for picnicking

The architecture of the old town of Dunblane is truly magnificent especially around the cathedral, in the medieval square, where there are delightful 18th century houses. Open to visitors is the Dean's House of 1624 which contains the Cathedral Museum with its fascinating exhibits while the Leighton Library(1681) contains over four thousand rare books. The historic suburb of Ramoyle is largely unchanged except that the thatched roofs of the whitewashed weaver's cottages are now slated.
Above Dunblane the site of the Dun can still be seen on the wooded hill where St. Blane lived 1400 years ago and founded this fascinating city. Add to this attractive riverside walks, parks, interesting shops, rich surrounding countryside on the edge of the Highlands, friendly local folk and a warm welcome at any of the local hostelries and it is easy to see why Dunblane and Sheriffmuir are popular with visitors

The Leighton Library is the oldest private library in Scotland and was founded by Robert Leighton (1611-84), Bishop of Dunblane. The library building was completed in 1688 and housed the Bishops private book collection. The cost of the building was kept to a minimum by using fallen stone from the nearby Bishops's Palace. The rare collection of books has since swelled from the original 1,400 books bequeathed to some 4,500 volumes on a variety of subjects and printed in 80 languages. Visitors to this impressive literary collection are given the rare opportunity to handle some of Scotland's rarest books, the oldest, a book of Psalms dates back to 1504. The collection includes Samuel Johnson's Dictionaries and many first editions, such as Sir Walter Scott's 'Lady of the Lake'.

Dunblane is close to some of Scotland's finest scenery. However, there are two park lands within the city that deserve a special mention. Ochlochy Park, once common land for cattle grazing, was gifted to the people of Dunblane as a children's play area in 1942. The name of the park derives from the Gaelic, meaning 'The Little Loch in the Field'. This definition aptly sums up Ochlochy Park and a popular pastime for the local children is feeding the families of ducks on the miniature loch. The Leighills, a major fortified camp in pre-historic times, nowadays offers excellent walking opportunities as well as an equipped children's play area.

The Darn Walk (or Daurinn Road) is aptly named as it comes from an obsolete Gaelic word meaning The Water Road. This charming riverside pathway, thought to have been in use since Roman times, connects Dunblane with the nearby community of Bridge of Allan. Along the walk look out for the remains of Pictish houses and the cave associated with the famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson. Stevenson composed many of his literacy masterpieces here and described the cave as 'a cavern by the side of a wide meadow which has been part of me the last twelve years or so'.

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