In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Doune like this:
Doune (Gael. 'the hill'), a village in Kilmadock parish, S Perthshire, with a station on the Dunblane and Callander section of the Caledonian, 78 miles ESE of Oban, 7¾ SE of Callander, 3¾ W by N of Dunblane, 8¾ NW of Stirling, 45 NW of Edinburgh, and 38¼ NNE of Glasgow. ...
It stands near the left bank of the swift river Teith, which here receives Ardoch Burn, and here is spanned by a noble two-arched bridge, founded in 1535 by Robert Spittal, tailor to the Most Noble Princess Margaret, the Queen of James IV., and widened 3 feet in 1866. The village of Bridge of Teith adjoins it, and on the opposite side of the river, 1 mile to the W, stands that of Deanston; whilst just to the S frown the hoary ruins of Doune Castle, and behind rise the heathery Braes of Doune, which culminate in Uamh Bheag (2179 feet), 6¾ miles to the NW. Itself, Doune mainly consists of a larger and two smaller well-built streets, radiating from an old central market-cross; and has a post office, with money order, savings' bank, and telegraph departments, branches of the Royal and Union Banks, 5 insurance agencies, an hotel and 2 inns, a gas company, a public library, a volunteer corps, curling and bowling clubs, a masonic lodge (1789), a Free Gardeners' lodge (1819), and a horticultural institution (1837). Thursday is market-day; and fairs are held on the second Wednesday of May, the last Wednesday of July (hiring), the Tuesday before the first Wednesday of November (sheep), the first Wednesday of November (cattle and horses), and the fourth Wednesday of November (sheep and cattle), four of these fairs having been authorised by Act of Parliament in 1665. Once famous for its manufacture of Highland pistols and sporans, Doune now depends chiefly upon Deanston cotton-mill, started in 1785. Places of worship are the parish church (1822; 1151 sittings), a Gothic edifice, with handsome tower and beautiful pulpit; a Free church; a U.P. church at Bridge of Teith, of which Dr John M`Kerrow, historian of the Secession, was minister from 1813 till his death in 1867; the Roman Catholic church of SS. Fillan and Alphonsus (1875; 300 sittings); and St Modoc's Episcopal church (1878; 120 sittings), which, Early English in style, consists of a four-bayed nave barrel-vaulted in oak, a three-bayed chancel groined in stone, a N organ transept, and a N sacristy, with beautiful stained-glass E and W windows and wooden triptych reredos. A public and an infant school, with respective accommodation for 131 and 94 children, had (1880) an average attendance of 56 and 42, and grants of £48,14s. and £28. The superior of the village is the Earl of Moray, whose Perthshire seat is Doune Lodge. Pop. (1841) 1559, (1851) 1459, (1861) 1256, (1871) 1262, (1881) 997.—Ord. Sur., sh. 39,1869.
Doune through time
Doune is now part of Stirling district. Click here for graphs and data of how Stirling has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Doune itself, go to Units and Statistics.
GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, History of Doune, in Stirling and Perthshire | Map and description, A Vision of Britain through Time.
URL: https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/17403
Date accessed: 12th May 2024
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