It’s known as ‘the shaky toun’. But Comrie is a rock solid little community at the heart of Strathearn.
The Perthshire village sits 10 miles from Crieff on the road to Loch Earn. And it’s looking stunning at the moment as the trees show off their autumn colours.
But really there’s no bad time to visit.
That ‘shaky’ reputation comes from its location, close to the Highland boundary fault line. Comrie has experienced more earthquakes than anywhere else in Scotland. And in 1840, it became home to the world’s first modern seismometer for measuring tremors.
You can still visit the Earthquake House today.
But Comrie is also home to another force of nature, in the form of Gillian Brock.
The Comrie Community Council stalwart has a hand in virtually every aspect of village life, and she’s the perfect person to sing its praises.
“Comrie has the best community spirit I know,” says Gillian.
“I wouldn’t live anywhere else.”
‘No excuse for being bored’
“We’re really well set up for entertainment in Comrie,” says Gillian. “There’s no excuse for being bored.
“We still have our own pipe band, which is quite something for a wee place with only about 2,000 residents. They’re very important to village life, they play at all the big events through the year and people always turn out to support them.
“There’s a cinema club and a local drama club, who put on a Comrie pantomime every Christmas in the White Church, our community venue. I wouldn’t dream of going to Glasgow for the panto. Not when you see the standard of the shows that our guys put on.
“We have singing groups who visit the elderly residents in their own homes too. Some of them have dementia, and the music really helps. They also visit care homes and entertain in St Kessog’s Square in the village.
“And there’s a singalong once a month. It’s not just for Comrie residents, everyone is welcome.”
Handy for the High Street
“We are lucky to have some great shops who are always keen to oblige,” says Gillian. “There’s quite a large elderly population in Comrie and they deliver to them without question. It’s an invaluable service.
“They’re all brilliant. But the Handy Shop exemplifies everything that’s great about Comrie. They really stepped up during Covid. When lots of other places couldn’t open, they did deliveries and went out of their way to get what people needed.
“We have some unique shops, and some great talented local artists who have galleries and studios here too.
“Our local cancer charity shop is known as ‘Little Harrods’ because of the quality of it stock. It has had a huge overhaul in recent years and the money they have raised there for various cancer charities is outstanding.”
Wartime welcome still going strong
“We are steeped in all kinds of history here,” says Gillian. “But Cultybraggan is something special.
“It was a Second World War prisoner of war camp, built just outside Comrie to house up to 4,000 prisoners.
“It’s run by the Comrie Development Trust now.
“There’s a museum and a cafe and a community orchard. But there are also holiday lets, and businesses can rent out the newly-refurbished Nissen huts. It’s a brilliant place.
“One of the prisoners, Heinrich Steinmeyer, left almost £400,000 to the people of Comrie when he died.
“He said he wanted to return the kindness he was shown here, and the money has been put to really good use in lots of ways.
“Comrie is still famous for its welcome today. There are three holiday parks and visitors pour into the village year in year out because we have so much to offer them.”
Jump in the Linn, or head for the hills
“We’re really lucky in Comrie to have our own outdoor swimming pool – the Linn,” says Gillian.
“It’s just a little bit up the river from the centre of the village, a natural swimming hole where all the kids go, adults too. The minute the sun comes out everyone makes for the Linn. In fact there are probably people up there in this weather too.
“If you’re not a swimmer, there’s still plenty of other outdoors stuff to do around here, specially if you like walking.
“The Deil’s Cauldron is just on the edge of the village. There’s a short walk up through a gorge with viewing platforms where you can look at the waterfalls and pools on the River Lednock.
“And if you carry on past it, you’ll come to Melville’s monument, where you get a great view of the whole village.
“The Shaky Bridge in Glen Lednock is another nice walk, and then there’s the wildlife park at Auchingarrich and Comrie dog park. You can just go roaming all around here.”
Flambeaux, Comrie fortnight and all the folk who make things happen
“Comrie has so many traditions that are unique to this village,” says Gillian. “It’s really quite remarkable. But they only happen because of the people here who put so much effort into keeping them alive.
“The Comrie Flambeaux is one of the biggest and the most spectacular. That’s our Hogmanay fireballs display. People come from far and wide to see it.
“But the smaller ones, like the hay ride, are just as important. Every year at the end of the harvest the farmers take the local kids on tractor rides. They stop for a picnic and play games and things. It’s just a really nice day out.
“We have a Comrie Fortnight every summer – two weeks of events that end with a float parade. Some days there’ll be three different things going on. That take a lot of organising and a lot of support to keep it going in a wee village like this.
“And then through the year, there are things like the Thursday club, Cycling Without Age trishaw rides, an extremely conscientious community council…
“You could fill the whole Courier if you tried to list everything that goes on in Comrie. But no matter what is needed, the villagers get behind it and support it. It’s a very special wee place.”
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