Perth People


Robert Gillespie Reid ~ Bridge and Railway Builder

A Scottish financier and bridge builder who was born in c1840 in Coupar Angus, Robert Gillespie Reid trained as a bridge builder with his uncle and then set up his own business. After some travel, Australia (1865) he settled in Montreal in 1871. There he built the International Bridge across the Niagara […]


Robert Cunninghame-Graham ~ Politician, Writer, and Founder of the Scottish Labour Party

Robert Cunninghame-Graham (1852-1936) – Born in London, Don Roberto, as he was known, was a Liberal MP and prolific writer and a founder with Keir Hardie of the Scottish Labour Party. He is buried at Inchmahome (NN 574005) in Perthshire. Robert Bontine, the son of Major William Bontine of the […]


John Maclean ~ Revolutionary & Educator

John Maclean, Clydeside socialist, democrat, educator and trade unionist served six terms of imprisonment between 1916 and 1923 for the offences of sedition and incitement to strike. These convictions all related to his efforts to oppose the First World War and to organise the labour movement on the Clyde. His […]


Alan Gorrie and the Average White Band

Alan Gorrie native of Perth formed the Average White Band with friends in 1972. The Average White Band are a Scottish funk and Rhythm and Blues group with a number of soul and sico hits between 1974 and 1980. They were still playing in 2006 and were one of the […]


William Geddes and the Blairgowrie School of Painting

Perth Museum and Art Gallery (16 December 2006 – 5 May 2007) an exhibition entitled the Blairgowrie Boys. The following is taken from the accompanying notes from that exhibition, written by Maria Devaney, Principal Arts Officer. “The east Perthshire town of Blairgowrie was the home of William Geddes, a self taught […]