Killin Primary School Heritage Project
ABOUT THE OLD MILL AND KAT
The Old Mill is a flagship project for KAT and Killin. The Old Mill itself is a 1840s b-listed building with a working waterwheel, which sits next to the Falls of Dochart in Killin, Scotland. It is a gateway to the village, drawing visitors in and introducing them to all Killin has in store.
The project is made up of a local maker’s market and a creative community and heritage hub, where through our events and exhibitions the threads of Killin's past and future heritage are gathered and woven together.
They are also home to the Healing Stones of St Fillan, eight water washed stones that people still visit and use to this day. They are the only known physical evidence of ancient horizontal milling in Central Scotland.
As a Killin community-owned and run project, KAT share and celebrate local heritage and encourage all to be a part of weaving it. They offer visitors a feel of 'the fabric of Killin’ as a place and as a community. Increasing awareness that heritage is not static, creating the heritage of the future in the things we do today; just as our past has shaped our present and contains important wisdom for us now. Encouraging everyone to come and be part of it.
Playground Games
ABOUT THE SCHOOL HERITAGE PROJECT
In 2025 Killin Primary School celebrated the 65th birthday of their current building and the community came together and decided it deserved a party!
A collaboration between the school, the Old Mill, Killin and artist and writer Amanda Edmiston was dreamt up. Involving current pupils and folk who’d attended the school in the years after it was first built.
Jane, who has been a lead on the project and who herself went to the new Killin Primary shortly after it was built wrote:
Killin school – the old and the new in 1960
“You may be surprised to know that where the new part of the school is now, there was a church, the Free Church of Scotland, until the late 40s/ early 50s when it was demolished, The old, stone part of the school had 4 classrooms, each with multiple classes. In the 50s, primary 1,2 and 3 were in one class, P4 and 5 another, p. 6 and 7 in a third and where the library is now, was the headmaster’s classroom for Years 1,2, and 3 of junior secondary.
The school had paraffin lamps before the classrooms had electricity, with open fireplaces in every room – gloves were hung over the fireguards to dry in winter All the classes (there was no assembly), started in the morning with a hymn. The playground included the knoll at the back of the school and all Killin pupils went home for lunch (no dining area)
The new, front part of the school, was built in 1960 as a junior secondary, with an intake from Killin and all the neighbouring villages.. It had 4 classrooms including a technical science workshop, a domestic science room, a gym (as it is now), the kitchen and dining area, children’s toilets, the secretary’s office and the nurse’s room upstairs, where pupils got their ‘jags’.”
Killin Junior Secondary 1960 first year of new school. Genorously shared by Davy Ostler.
Grant MacDonald, Hydro Engineers son lived in Ballechroisk, David Osler, Ivan Black Crianlarich, Duncan Twigg, David Anderson Crianlarich, Robert MacKenzie, Hamish Campbell, Fiona Stewart Tyndrum, Nancy Harkness Tyndrum I think, Jemima Blyth, Kathleen Smyth, Billy Martin Tyndrum, Elma Paterson Glendochart, Elizabeth Fulton, Catriona Cameron Crianlarich/Tyndrum, Relief Butchers at Coop's daughter Colin Campbell off with TB, Myra MacDonald, Joanne MacLennan Crianlarich, Aileen Berry.
Davy Osler added “I was in the school from the first day... It was amazing to be in a place where everything was new. In particular it was fully kitted out with all the sports equipment for all the sports, even a full cricket set. Happy days”.
Wendy kindly shared her report cards and certifcates!
We started with a brilliant session at The Old Mill Killin, where folk were invited to share their memories of attending the school back in the 1960’s.
Games, school days, favourite teachers and memories of childhood were shared. The group reminisced about playing peevers, epic games of kick the can, hiding in tunnels that have long since been blocked up and all ways to avoid being called in for the evening. School was remembered fondly but one thing inevitably made it more dramatically different from the experience of pupils today than any other…the practical sessions that took up way more space in the pre-internet days.
Inspired by the groups memories of games played and making rugs from kits, Amanda created a new story which she adapted for different age groups and shared with the present pupils from Killin Primary.
We decided to make our own peevers rag-rug, using recycled materials.
Pupils and teachers took it in turns to work on it over the weeks.
LOOKING BACK AT MEMORIES OF SCHOOLDAYS.
The current pupils of class three also worked on questions they wanted to ask former pupils and working in groups, split into journalists and film crew, recorded a series of interviews looking back at memories of schooldays.
Postcard shared by the heritage group via social media
WE ALSO GOT PERMISSION TO SHARE THESED LOVELY MEMORIES FROM THE HERITAGE GROUP ON SOCIAL MEDIA…
We Remember…
School dinners - you weren’t allowed to go for seconds until everyone on your table had finished, some of the boys were practically force feeding me so they could get in the queue!
When it was icy and we would make huge slides in the playground- then the Jannie (janitor) would come with the salt and spoil our fun!
The pink Germoline ointment applied to skint knees from the Jannie’s wee cupboard.
Poison custard for dinners, navy blue knickers for gym and the belt for every spelling you got wrong. I remember well because unfortunately I was rotten at spelling!
I particularly remember teachers Miss Menzies in P3 or 4 and Mr Woollard in P7. They really made a great impact on me. Mr Woodard’s weekly general knowledge homework questions, they often had the whole village researching whatever source was available
I remember the skipping games and using two skipping ropes sometimes, we sang songs so you knew when to jump in and out..
The games we played
What's the time Mr Wolf
Red Rover, Red Rover
Kiss, Cuddle or Torture
Bulldog (until it was banned)
Conkers, my dad said I should boil them in vinegar! (These were banned too!)
We were allowed to go to the park at lunchtime. We used to pack onto the witches hat merry go round and get pushed around at high speed by the big boys!
Singing “Oranges and lemons sing the bells of St. Clements, here comes a chopper to cut off your head”.
Elastics were a craze for a wee while- joined up elastic bands which were made into a circle. Two people held the bands around their ankles whilst a third jumped in and out of them to a rhyme/ chant. The bands got progressively higher up the legs of the holders.
I remember the whole school packed onto the stairs to look out the big window at the last departure from the station of the old puffer.
I remember the tuck shop: Wagon wheels, potato puffs, the few varieties of crisps available back then.
Mrs McArthur reading Milly Molly Mandy and My Naughty Little Sister stories to us. She was such a good story teller, it was my favourite part of the day.
The crates of milk delivered daily to the classrooms, think that put me off drinking milk for life! Iced up in winter and warm and creamy in summer
Sports day with Hall Farquarson shooting his pistol to set the races off, the ongoing tally of points on the blackboard and Ice creams provided by Hall & his dairy
Christmas parties run by WRI (it still is, in 2025!) were always superb and I think we all have the best memories of these!
