Meigle

Meigle (Scottish Gaelic: Mìgeil, IPA:[ˈmiːkʲɪl]) is a village in Strathmore, Scotland. It lies in the council area of Perth and Kinross in the Coupar Angus and Meigle ward. The nearest town is Forfar in neighbouring Angus. Other smaller settlements nearby are Balkeerie, Kirkinch and Kinloch. Meigle is accessed from the north and south via the B954 road. In 1971 it had a population of 357.[1]

For the place in North Ayrshire, see Meigle, North Ayrshire.

Meigle

Meigle Parish Church
Meigle
Location within Perth and Kinross
Population357 (1971)
OS grid referenceNO287446
Council area
Lieutenancy area
  • Perth and Kinross
CountryScotland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBLAIRGOWRIE
Postcode districtPH12
PoliceScotland
FireScottish
AmbulanceScottish
UK Parliament
Scottish Parliament

Etymology

The name Meigle is of Pictish origin.[2][3] Recorded as Migdele in the Legend of Saint Andrew, the first element is *mig, meaning "swamp, bog, quagmire",[2] and the second is dol, "field, meadow" (c.f. Welsh mig-dôl).[2]

Area history

The Pictish stones on display at Meigle are a manifestation of the rich early history of the area. The village of Eassie, approximately three kilometres (1.9 mi) to the east of Meigle, is noted for the presence of the Eassie Stone, a carved Pictish stone dated to the Early Middle Ages.[4]

Attractions

The Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum[5] is housed in the former Victorian village school and contains an important collection of more than thirty Pictish Stones, along with some later carvings dating from between the 8th and 10th centuries, many of them superbly carved. The collection is one of the finest of its type in Western Europe. The village was probably the site of an important early medieval Pictish monastery, centred on the present church and churchyard. The collection is cared for by Historic Scotland and is open in summer. There is an entrance charge.

Nearby Belmont Castle, constructed from the 15th century originally as a residence of the Bishops of Dunkeld, was the home of Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (1836–1908), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 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 team which competes in the Strathmore Union.

Transportation

Meigle railway station was a stop on the Alyth Railway, which served the village from 1861 to 1951.

Notable people

See also

References
  1. "Meigle". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  2. Watson, W.J.; Taylor, Simon (2011). The Celtic Place-Names of Scotland (reprint ed.). Birlinn LTD. ISBN 9781906566357.
  3. Hall, Mark A; Driscoll, Stephen T; Geddess, Jane (11 November 2010). Pictish Progress: New Studies on Northern Britain in the Early Middle Ages. Brill. ISBN 9789004188013. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  4. Hogan, C. Michael. Burnham (ed.). "Eassie Stone". The Megalithic Portal. Retrieved 7 October 2007.
  5. "Meigle Pictish stones". Undiscovered Scotland. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
  • Old Statistical Account (1791–1799)
  • Second Statistical Account (1834–1845)


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