Meigle ( gd, Mìgeil, ) is a village in Strathmore,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. It lies in the council area of

Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross ( sco, Pairth an Kinross; gd, Peairt agus Ceann Rois) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Fife, Highland ...

in the Coupar Angus and Meigle ward. It lies on the A94 road between Perth and Forfar. Other smaller settlements nearby are Balkeerie,

Kirkinch Kirkinch, meaning 'kirk (church) on the island' in Scots language, Scots and Gaelic languages, Gaelic, is a small village in Angus, Scotland.United Kingdom Ordnance Survey Map, Landranger (2005) The 'island' is the knoll on which remains of the ...

and Kinloch. Meigle is accessed from the north and south via the B954 road. In 1971 it had a population of 357.

Etymology

The name ''Meigle'' is of Pictish origin. Recorded as ''Migdele'' in the Legend of

Saint Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Pete ...

, the first element is ''*mig'', meaning "swamp, bog, quagmire", and the second is ''dol'', "field, meadow" (c.f.

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

''mig-dôl).

Area history

The Pictish stones on display at Meigle are a manifestation of the early history of the area. The village of Eassie, approximately to the east of Meigle, is noted for the presence of the Eassie Stone, a carved Pictish stone dated to the

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

Attractions

The Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum is housed in the former Victorian village school and contains a collection of more than thirty Pictish Stones, along with some later carvings dating from between the 8th and 10th centuries. The village was probably the site of an important early medieval Pictish

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...

, centred on the present church and churchyard. The collection is cared for by

Historic Scotland Historic Scotland ( gd, Alba Aosmhor) was an executive agency of the Scottish Office and later the Scottish Government from 1991 to 2015, responsible for safeguarding Scotland's built heritage, and promoting its understanding and enjoyment ...

and is open in summer. Nearby Belmont Castle, constructed from the 15th century originally as a residence of the Bishops of

Dunkeld Dunkeld (, sco, Dunkell, from gd, Dùn Chailleann, "fort of the Caledonians") is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The location of a historic cathedral, it lies on the north bank of the River Tay, opposite Birnam. Dunkeld lies close to t ...

, was the home of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (1836–1908),

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern p ...

1905–08, who is buried in the village churchyard; a mural monument to his memory is built into the north-east wall of the church. Meigle is also home to Meigle C.C. a

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...

team which competes in the Strathmore Union.

Transportation

Meigle railway station was a stop on the

Alyth Railway The Alyth Railway was a short branch railway line built in Strathmore in Scotland, connecting the town of Alyth to the main line network. It opened in 1861. Its junction was remote from any large population centre except Dundee, which was only re ...

, which served the village from 1861 to 1951.

Notable people

Gordon Drummond General Sir Gordon Drummond, GCB (27 September 1772 – 10 October 1854) was a Canadian-born British Army officer and the first official to command the military and the civil government of Canada. As Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, Dru ...

, international cricketer for Scotland * Ralph Laing, first-class cricketer * Hugh Lyon Playfair

References

External links

Old Statistical Account The ''Statistical Accounts of Scotland'' are a series of documentary publications, related in subject matter though published at different times, covering life in Scotland in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The ''Old (or First) Statistical Ac ...

(1791–1799) * Second Statistical Account (1834–1845) Villages in Perth and Kinross {{PerthKinross-geo-stub