Small Projects

The Trust carries out numerous smaller projects each year.

Alongside the major projects listed to the left, the Trust underakes small and short-term projects which can often have a significant impact on a local area.  The projects listed below, with photos in the image gallery to the right, outline some of the recent small projects.

Balado Old Bridge, Kinross-shire
Balado Bridge is located 2km west of Kinross town centre, crossing the South Queich just off the A977 road to Stirling. The bridge was heavily overgrown, with vegetation, including saplings, growing out of the old road surface and the bridge mortar. The bridge is a delightful example of a hump-backed, segmental arch random rubble bridge, with the keystone giving a construction date of 1777. It is B-listed, and in 2008 was one of the few bridges on the Buildings at Risk register.

The project began with Trust volunteers participating in the removal of vegetation and soil from the road surface, to allow a closer inspection of the bridge structure. After consultation with Perth and Kinross Council’s Roads Service, the old surface of tarmac was removed, a layer of geotextile to prevent vegetation growth was put down, and a new surface of packed gravel was laid, with rough-hewn boulders at either end to prevent vehicular traffic.

With the conservation work completed in April 2009, the Bridge is no longer on the Buildings at Risk register and is now a positive feature in the hamlet of Balado.

Volunteer geophysical survey projects
Through Exploring Perthshire’s Past a number of small geophysical surveys with geophysicist Dr Peter Morris have been undertaken with volunteers. 

Burnbank, Blairgowrie
This site comprises a group of square barrows, enclosures, and prehistoric settlement, visible as a series of cropmarks on aerial photographs. The monument lies in arable farmland. Square barrows are characteristic burial monuments of the later Iron Age or Pictish period.

In January 2009 magnetometry and resistivity survey were undertaken to see identify any additional features to the structures showing as cropmarks, as well as to find any associated structures. Unfortunately the results around the square barrow were poor, possibly the result of moisture content of the soil in that area. Two structures, one circular and one sub-circular, which could represent prehistoric settlement, showed up clearly in other parts of the field.

Clashbenny, Carse of Gowrie
In January 2009 magnetometry and resistivity survey were also undertaken at Clahsbenny to identify any additional features to the large area of cropmarks which have been interpreted as prehistoric settlement. The results from the area surveyed so far have been good, showing up a number of details and features previously unknown. It is planned to return to continue the survey in early 2010.