Dunblane Museum

It's #DiscoverWhatYourNameMeansDay today. Origin of name Dunblane: originated from Scottish Gaelic “Dùn Bhlàthain”, or fort or fortified hill of Blane. Saint Blane lived in 6th century. He or his followers established a religious community at Dunblane

#OnThisDay 1936 first flight took place of first prototype Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft (K5054) in United Kingdom. On 1 Aug 1941 in sky above Dunblane, a mid air collision took place between 2 RAF spitfires on combat training exercise during World War II

#OnThisDay 1890 iconic Forth Bridge opened. This painting (first known image of steam train through Dunblane - oil painting from 1885 by James M Robert Greenlees) shows railway bridge near Dunblane Cathedral crossing over River Allan which flows into the River Forth

#OnThisDay 1847 Scots-born engineer credited with inventing & patenting first practical telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, was born. Telephone services were introduced into Dunblane in July 1890. There were then four subscribers: the Hydro Hotel & three retailers

It's #OldStuffDay
#NationalOldStuffDay - Dunblane Museum itself is a museum piece as it was built in 1624 - so over 400 years old. Oldest object in Dunblane Museum is 4000 years old - child's necklace discovered in a burial cist in Dunblane
youtu.be/mGl6VlJg5Qk

#OnThisDay 1810 Polish composer & virtuoso pianist Frédéric Chopin was born. Jane Stirling from Dunblane's Kippenross had very close association with Chopin & persuaded him to stay in Dunblane while recuperating from serious illness.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_St...

🕺 It's #NationalRetroDay
#RetroDay today. So looking back to Dunblane in the 1950s, can you identify the location of each of these views of Dunblane from back then?

Dunblane Museum reopens on 1 April

#OnThisDay 1786 Wilhelm Grimm, younger of Brothers Grimm, famous for "Grimm"s Fairy Tales, was born

Robert Kirk (1644–92) author of "Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns & Fairies" (copy in Dunblane Museum) was born in Aberfoyle, in Presbytery of Dunblane
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_...

It's #CurlingIsCoolDay today? Dunblane had a number of curling ponds - oldest for which records available Laighhills Curling pond, on map of 1866 (surveyed 1862) - likely Dunblane Curling Club’s first pond at club's affiliation in 1838 with national governing body

#OnThisDay 1878 the world's first telephone directory was issued (in New Haven, Connecticut, USA). Telephone services were introduced into Dunblane in July 1890 with 4 subscribers listed

#OnThisDay 1972 pioneering Scottish documentary film maker, John Grierson (father of British & Canadian documentary film, coined term "documentary") died. He was born in Deanston, originally Dean’s Town after Walter Drummond, in 1500 as Dean of Dunblane Cathedral, acquired lands

#OnThisDay 1863 Geneva citizens founded International Committee for Relief to Wounded, later known as International Committee of Red Cross. During World War II, Dunblane Doll's House was made for, & toured around the country for, the Red Cross to raise funds for Prisoners of War

#OnThisDay 1923 Howard Carter unsealed burial chamber of Pharaoh Tutankhamun which dated back to 3300 years ago. Dunblane Museum's oldest object is 4000-year-old child's necklace made from cannel-coal & Whitby jet, discovered in a burial cist in Dunblane
youtu.be/mGl6VlJg5Qk

Caledonian Railway Company opened #OnThisDay in 1848. Dunblane's railway station opened 22 May 1848, later became part of Caledonian rail network. In 2017 Dunblane's original Caledonian Railway footbridge (as seen in lower image) was relocated to heritage railway at Bridge of Dun

For #ValentinesDay - one-time famous Dunblane love song "Jessie the Flower of Dunblane" first appeared in print in 1808, hit for a century, one of Scotland's best known love songs, by Paisley weaver poet Robert Tannahill, who’d worked in Dunblane, about Jessie Duncan

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#OnThisDay in 1692 the Massacre of Glencoe took place. Here's a recording of the song about that tragic event by Dunblane's late great Jim MacLeod, and his band, who for many years provided musical entertainment for guests to Dunblane Hydro Hotel

youtu.be/DEDvHuSq8Lg

#OnThisDay 1649 William Carstares was born. He is represented in Dunblane Cathedral as final figure on pulpit. His closeness to William of Orange led to him successfully leading Church of Scotland to have presbyterian form of government

☔️ It’s #UmbrellaDay today so here’s a magnificent oil painting in Dunblane Museum by artist Archibald David Reid from about 1880, depicting lots of people carrying umbrellas in front of Dunblane Cathedral #NationalUmbrellaDay

Dunblane Museum will reopen on 1 April

#OnThisDay 1739 world’s oldest magazine still in publication, The Scots Magazine, was first published. In Dec 1982 issue author David Angus makes well-researched case for Dunblane being basis for fictional town in novel by George Douglas Brown "The House with the Green Shutters"

Renowned French science fiction author Jules Verne (born #OnThisDay 1828) travelled on newly opened Dunblane, Doune & Callander railway line in 1859, in research for his book "Voyage à Reculons" published posthumously only in 1989

It's #WeatherPersonsDay today. Former headmaster of Dunblane Free Church School (building opposite Dunblane Public Library), & Keeper of Dunblane's historic Leighton Library, Dr Alexander Buchan (1829-1907) was Scottish meteorologist who established weather map for forecasting

Dunblane Museum is looking for more people to join our superb group of volunteers. Our visitors from all over the world enjoy the warm, friendly welcome from our volunteers.

Email either
curator@dunblanemuseum.org.uk or Trish.museum@gmail.com

#OnThisDay 1856 Queen Victoria introduced Victoria Cross, country’s highest military decoration. In 2018 panel was unveiled at birthplace in Dunblane 1897 of Major James Palmer Huffam, recipient of Victoria Cross - centenary of his act of valour
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_H...

it's #InternationalLegoDay today, as #OnThisDay 1958 the Lego company patented the design of its Lego bricks. Try making a model of Dunblane Museum and share a photograph here
#LegoDay #Legography
#NationalLegoDay

Dunblane Museum reopens on 1 April

#OnThisDay 1880 inventor Thomas Edison received patent for his incandescent lightbulb. In Dunblane Museum there is a stone bowl lamp which would have lit a home here roughly 1800 years ago. It would have been filled with animal fat, with a rush wick

#OnThisDay 1900 prominent art essayist John Ruskin died. Small, unusually shaped, window above west end of Dunblane Cathedral, for over century has been known as Ruskin window as he visited Dunblane Cathedral & in his writings & lecture admired beauty & craftsmanship of it

As it's #HeritageTreasuresDay today do please share about your favourite recollection from Dunblane's history, or a memory from Dunblane Museum visit, & encourage others to follow us here

Dunblane Museum is closed for the winter and will reopen 1 April

#HeritageTreasuresDay

It's #NationalTechnologyDay today, celebrating technology impacting our lives. Find out more about Dunblane Museum on the website at www.DunblaneMuseum.org.uk or follow Dunblane Museum on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, X or YouTube (please encourage friends & family to do the same)

It’s #BrailleDay today as #OnThisDay 1809 French educator Louis Braille, who invented Braille, was born. Here's "Dunblane Museum" in Braille #WorldBrailleDay

Today is #ScienceFictionDay. French author Jules Verne is widely regarded as father of science fiction. In 1859, in research for his book "Voyage à Reculons," he travelled on then newly opened Dunblane, Doune and Callander railway line.
#NationalScienceFictionDay