Historical Auchterarder

This page gives a brief account of historical Auchterarder. Disaster struck in 1715, when the settlement was destroyed by Jacobite soldiers retreating from the Battle of Sheriffmuir, emerging from the ashes after being burned to the ground in the Jacobite retreat. The town became an important element of the growing handloom industry. The new town became a thriving textile town. The village has a long history dating back to the 13th Century when it was founded by Gilbert, Earl of Strathearn. Its ruined castle is said to have been a royal hunting lodge established by Malcolm Canmore in the 11th century and the village itself was for a time a burgh. In 1834 the parish was the scene of one of the first disputes that gave rise to the Disruption of 1843 when the church congregation refused to accept the minister nominated by the land owner. It was popular with kings and generals, who were partial to the many grand houses around the town.