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	Aberfeldy
		Brief Early History - Aberfeldy is a bustling small town built on the south side of the River Tay in Perthshsire. It sits at the point where the road south to Crieff meets the east-west road along the Tay valley and much of its growth is due to the first bridging of the river here in 1733. Aberfeldy spills out in all directions from the Square and offers visitors access to a range of shops, amenities and accommodation. The town also has an industrial history ranging from cotton milling dating back to 1799 to laundry and machine tool businesses in more recent times. Today the most striking and for many the most interesting industrial heritage revolves around distilling.
		Aberfeldy Distillery was built by John Dewar and & Sons of Perth.The original John Dewar died in 1880 and was succeeded by his sons Alexander and Tommy. It was Tommy who made the name of Dewar known world wide. He was an extrovert and showman whose escapades were not appreciated by his competitors, but by 1894 his enterprise had established 32 agents in no fewer than 26 countries. By this time, the firm had built a new headquarters next to the railway station in Perth from which a private siding led to their premises. Aberfeldy Distillery was also built next to the railway. In such a small community the distillery has always been a major employer. At present more than a dozen people are employed including some who work as visitor guides.
		The Falls of Moness are among the most spectacular waterfalls in Perthshire. A favourite area for country walks. The walks are divided into two sections. The first follows a short path through the lower woods. A short way along the path it divides into a scenic route and a nature trail, but if you are simply out for a walk this need not bother you as the two routes join at the top of the hill. The path is quite steep and muddy in places and passes close to the cliff edges but it is well maintained and solid steps and fences are provided where necessary. Along the route there is an abundance of vegetation. The glen can still be a rewarding place to visit even in poor weather a heavy rainfall makes the falls especially impressive. The scenery is at its best on a fine day in spring or autumn as the sunlight filters through the trees illuminating the leaves. This walk can also be combined with a visit to Wade's Bridge.
		At nearby Weem is the historic Castle Menzies which dates from 1571. Castle Menzies (pronounced 'Mingies') is a fine example of a type of castle known only in the east of Scotland. It was the seat of the chiefs of Clan Menzies from the 16th Century until the death of the last of the main line of the family in 1918. It is now being restored by the Menzies Clan Society. It is built on flat ground and the old tower house was extended on two sides in the 18th and 19th Centuries. There is a walled garden featuring buildings such as kennels, the keeper's and gardener's cottages, gatehouses and the gothic home farm steading half a mile to the west. This building is a contrast between its early history as a very efficient defensive fortification and its later life as an elegant and comfortable mansion house.
		Cluny House, Aberfeldy is a stone farmhouse with woodland garden specialising in Himalayan plants which was started in 1950 by Bobby & Betty Masterton. Their daughter Wendy Mattingley and her husband took over the garden in 1987. Cluny House Garden has a collection of Asiatic primulas including candelabras and a large collection of Trilliums, Arisaemas, Lilliums, Erythroniums and specimen trees including the widest girthed Sequoiadendron in the UK. The garden is also very important for a population of Red Squirrels. Cluny is cultivated organically with no pesticides or insecticides.The gardens are open to the public daily from March to October between 10am to 6pm.
		Lt. General Wade's bridge at Aberfeldy was first opened to traffic at the end of October 1733. Wade regarded it the greatest of his achievements in road-making. In nine years he had personally supervised the construction of over 250 miles of military roads in the Highlands the first engineered roads in Britain since Roman times. The total cost was £3,596 or in today's terms over £1m. No reasonable expense had been spared. The best architect in Scotland, William Adam, was hired to design the structure and master masons were brought from the northern counties of England to spend all winter preparing the stone. This completed the first stage of what Wade saw as an essential network of roads initially linking Inverness and Fort William along the Great Glen with Dunkeld and Crieff. The network eventually grew to over 1,000 miles south of the Great Glen establishing most major routes of the present day.
		scotland4me.net2007