Speaker Frank Kelly

Rotary Club of Stirling meeting of 20th January 2017.

President Alan Rankin welcomed members to our Friday meeting. Alan had visited "Food Train" to present the club's donation, which will go towards the replacement of one of their vans, and had also attended a meeting of the Carse of Stirling club at which he met this year's two Euroscholar candidates.  Colin Bayes commented on our difficulty in assembling a full team for the last Gavel competition, and the members supported Sandy Leven's suggestion that we should organise our own similar event, to increase interest among our members and perhaps improve our skills.

Rotarian Frank Kelly spoke about the history of the area around his home at Old Sauchie. The old name for Stirling "Striveling", striding the stream, gives some insight into the importance of the high ground south of Stirling, along which the Roman emperor Agricola built a road in the first century AD. With the arrival of Christianity 500 years later the Old Kirk at St Ninians became the centre of a large and important parish, and the estate of Sauchie was also extensive, although much of it was lost after the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie. The remains of the estate were bought in1786 by Mr W Ramsay a horse dealer from Edinburgh, and subsequently passed to a relative A Gibson Maitland, who amongst many activities was involved in the founding of the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, the Royal Bank and the developing rail network.
A successor James Ramsay Gibson Maitland developed fish farming, and the brown trout from Sauchieburn thrive today in the rivers of New Zealand.

The Vote of thanks was given by Stewart Wilson.  For further info www.stirling.rotary1010.org  At next week's meeting on 27/1/17 Speaker's host Stewart Wilson, Visitor's host Jim Kerr

Ian Richardson