A chance to time travel in Tullibody
Not many people realise that despite the fact that most of the buildings in the small village of Tullibody, near Alloa, are relatively modern, the settlement actually has a history dating back over 6000 years. Hunter-gatherers, Druids, Romans, Picts and Scottish kings have all made their mark there. On May 16th people in the area are being invited to add to that list by joining the Tullibody History Group and the Inner Forth Landscape Initiative (IFLI) for a fascinating free historical tour of the village.
The walk will begin at 2pm, at the Tullibody Heritage Centre, where local history expert Chris Calder, who was instrumental in setting up the Tullibody History Group, will introduce visitors to the village’s heritage. She will then lead a walk around Tullibody’s key historical buildings and sites, revealing some of the many intriguing stories about the village’s past.
Explaining why she became so fascinated with the village’s history, Chris said: ‘I was a district nurse in Tullibody and the older patients kept telling me stories of the "old Tullibody" before it was pulled down in the post-war years, and I thought “all this history is going to be lost”. At that time I didn't know that it went back to 4000BC! I started tape recording some of their stories. Then the Alloa Museum curator of the time put on a slide show which showed a lot of pictures of the old village, and I was astounded that hardly anyone had recorded anything. Then I met some like-minded residents and we formed the history group, followed by opening the Heritage Centre in 2003.’
The walk is part of a suite of activities and events that will be organised over the next three years as part of IFLI’s Like the Back of My Hand project. The project aims to help reconnect more people with some of the special places that are sometimes overlooked within the Inner Forth. It is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of the National Lottery. You can contact Sue Walker, 07718 697947, email info@innerforthlandscape.co.uk,for more information.