Tour Town of Trouts Scotland

Tour Town of Trouts Scotland. Ballinbreich, located on the South bank of the River Tay, not far from Newburgh, is one of the oldest celtic names in Fife and is a corruption of Balan-breac, meaning "town of trouts". This is of course a reference to the salmon to be found there, and even in modern times it has enjoyed the reputation of being a first class fishing station. The original fabric of the castle dates from the 14th century. It consisted then of a small keep set upon the south wall of a great courtyard of oblong shape, with the keep projecting beyond the walls to the South. Previously to the 14th century the Barony of Ballinbreich was held by the ancient family of Abernethy but ten passed through marriage into the hands of the Earls of Rothes. In the sixteenth century alterations and additions were made that gave the castle the outline that can still be seen today. It has been mined for generations and it was when one of the inner walls collapsed that the 14th century masonry work was revealed. The workmanship of the masonry is considered unsurpassed in Scotland. Ballinbreich is situated on private ground and anyone wishing to visit should first gain permission.

Newburgh, in Fife, on the banks of the River Tay, has had a settlement or a village on the present site from a period much earlier than the end of the twelfth century, but it was at this time that the village grew in importance, due to the founding of Lindores Abbey, and was named in a Royal Charter as Newburgh. Until the end of the Eighteenth Century, there were no made up roads in Newburgh, wheeled carriages were seldom seen. The main industries at this time were farming and handloom weaving. In the 1800's there was a boom in municipal building and in the mid 1800s the railway came to Newburgh and the social life of the town grew with no less than thirty five pubs. The harbor was extremely busy, the main employment being salmon and sprat fishing. Forty boats were in service at that time. The village boasted of no less than four schools. 40 years later Newburgh was enjoying a reputation as a holiday resort. Pleasure steamers came from Dundee and many people still remember the town echoing with the noise of holiday makers. After the second world war the pleasure steamers went into decline with the advent of the touring bus and the post war population boom meant that less houses were available as holiday homes. A tradition which started in 1864 is the annual procession of the Caledonian Lodge of Oddfellows. The Oddfellows parade by torchlight through the town, wearing costume, mask and creating merriment by their antics. Rushes are to be found growing all along the banks of the Tay and once they were utilized as roofing material for many of the cottages in Newburgh. Sadly today there remains only one example at 165 High Street.

In the past it was the custom among handloom weavers on marrying to have their initials and a heart cut in the lintel of their door. The Stone to be seen at No. 60 High Street, bears the names of Janet Williamson and Thomas Anderson who was a sea captain, as can be seen on the design. The stone, from which the Bear Tavern takes its name, was originally set into the abbots residence at Lindores Abbey. The 'bear and ragged staff is a device of the Earls of Warwick, and as a crozier or pastoral staff is evident above the now obliterated arms of Warwick, it may he assumed that the stone was caused to be made by Guy, the first Abbot who was a cadet (re brother or son) of that family. The origin of the legend of the bear goes back to the time of Arthur and the round table. One of his knights was Arthgal whose name in the British language was Arsh meaning bear. The ragged staff is attributed to Morvidus, an earl of the same family who slew a giant with a young tree which he had pulled up by the roots. An extract from Westwood's Directory for the counties of Fife and Kinross published 1862. "Newburgh parish forms the boundary of the county at its northwest corner. It is bounded by the River Tay, Abdie, Abernethy, Auchtermuchty and Collessie. The parish enjoys good seaward communication through the port of Newburgh, is traversed by the turnpike road from Cupar to Perth, and has a station on the Perth fork of the E P & D Railway. The main part of the Royal Burgh consists of one long street, a range of houses fronting the harbour, and a number of lanes leading down to the shore. A modern suburb on the south, Mount Pleasant, is in Abdie parish. Both the shops and the principal dwelling houses indicate considerable taste and prosperity on the part of the owners. Its situation on the River Tay is exceedingly pleasant. The town house, with spire, was erected in 1808. The linen trade is the chief employer in the town. Much trade in grain is carried on, with a weekly fair for corn. The harbour consists of a long pier parallel to the river with four jetties at right angles to it. There are twenty vessels belonging to the port, of the aggregate burden of 1256 tons; and one packet is regularly engaged in conveying raw material and manufactured produce between the town and Dundee. The principal exports are lime, grain and potatoes; while coal, timber and other miscellaneous goods form the imports. There is a parish church in the burgh, and also 2 UP Churches. There is a Free Church for Newburgh and Abdie situated in Abdie parish."