Killin Books???

[JocelynSea]

Hi Everybody! I've been searching online for books, mainly novels, but can be non-fiction, that are set in the Killin area. I'm always looking for a good read. Any suggestions? Thanks, Jocelyn

[Dougie Gray]

Hi Jocelyn. One you may be interested in, it's on ebay and titled Killin to Glencoe (A Tamdhu Guide). The reference number is 390126799042.
It's listed by a seller in the Aberfeldy area who has a website that's worth a look too. There's a link from his ebay pages.
Hope this helps.
Regards

Dougie.

[Mitchell Watson]

Jocelyn
Just had delivered a great little read 'Old Killin, Kenmore and Loch Tay' by Bernard Byrom with old photos and history of the area, published by Stenlake Publishing Ltd
E mail www.stenlake.co.uk price £7.99 ordered it one day it was delivered the next day, unfortunately it took only a few hours to read but I will go back to it again and again I'm sure.
It also has list of other relevant 'reads'
It might be worth the $10 in your money.
Cheers Mitchell

[JocelynSea]

Hi Dougie and Mitchell, They sound like two wonderful books. I'm going to check them out right away. Thanks for taking the time to help me. There are some great people here on the Killin site, both of you included. Cheers, Jocelyn

[Ronnie]

Hi Jocelyn, yes it is a wonderfull site to be a part of. A while ago there was a thread about movies and tv shows that featured Killin and well worth a look at. I think you can do a search for it or someone may know what it was called. Cheers...Ronnie.

[JocelynSea]

Mitchell, My copy of 'Old Killin, Kenmore and Loch Tay' arrived in the mail today. I'm looking forward to a fun and informative reading session tonight. Thanks for your suggestion. Jocelyn

[Mitchell Watson]

Jocelyn, Glad to hear the Stenlake delivery service is fast in Canada as well as here. I used to live in Killin between 1948 and 1958 (no doubt my formatve years ) so I recognise a lot of the areas in the photos in the book. My father was a civil engineer who was involved with the large hydro electric schemes in the areas of Ben Lawers, Glen Lyon and Glen Lochay. This was a boom time for Killin I think. One of the book photos which was of special interest was Auchmore House (Page 17). This used to be the 'hostel' or accommodation for the young unmarried engineers and apartments for some of the married enginners and their families, during the 1950's. It had huge rooms with very ornate cornices and must have been a bit drafty and cold in the winter. The servants quarters and stables nearby were also converted into engineer's living quarters at this time, and these apartments are still here today. One fascinating item was a 100m underground passage between the old servants quarters and the kitchen area in Auchmore House, built so that the servants going to work were out of view of the 'gentry' in the big house. (It shows how the 'other half' lived in the 1890s ). I remember trying to get through the tunnel with some of the young engineers when I was young but could not get through because it was blocked with rubbish and rubble I think it was ruled as being out of bounds for safety reasons. The big house had dry rot in the 1950s but it is sad to think it was just blown up.

On another point if you have not had any replies on the white house in the webcam picture, the house is called 'Lochleven' on Main Street roughly opposite the McGregors store identified in Google maps, in my day , the left hand end of the now house used to be McNees Butchers shop and the right hand side was the house in which the McNees lived. Later their daughter Molly McRobbie lived there with her family till quite recently. Molly is a very well known local character. When in Killin I lived two houses down from Lochleven in a house called Fernbank, so I knew the area.
Trust you enjoy the book,
Cheers Mitchell