FORFAR and Roond Aboot - Part 1 (castles, lochs, history, scenery)

[@mckayuk]

Great Video of Forfar - thank you. I was born in Forfar in 1958 and spent most of my childhood living Jeanfield Crescent attending Forfar West primary school on the Glamis Road (which is now called Langlands). Aged 11 on to Strathmore Secondary School (am certain it was called St. James school back then and on St. James Road) then aged 14 on to Forfar Academy. In the Vennel the Jute Mills Don & Low were still running (now Asda) but Forfar swimming pool that we were marched too from school remains. St. James school the boys and girls playgrounds were reversed in 1972 because when playing football during breaks we couldn't get the ball back when it landed in someone's property. Mr McMillan was headmaster of both Forfar West and St. James school and loved his football. He and we were delighted when Forfar West won the Angus Primary School League in 1968 & 1969 (I played right wing and the fastest runner in the school). I still remember us boys being marched to the Boyle Park for the final of the Angus Secondary School Football Championship in 1972 where we won although I was unhappy to have been moved for only that game to right back when I loved running and crossing a ball and at 1 - 1 I had an opportunity to "I will show you" ran with the ball all the way up the right wing from a goalie throw out and crossed it in near the goal line for one of our forwards to score and win the Trophy. As a wee boy I loved model aeroplanes that I bought from Woolworths (now long gone) and on my 10th Birthday Mum bought me a fly fishing rod reel line and half a dozen flies so I would bicycle 3 miles out to the Kirbit Stream to fish but was also taken to Loch Wharrel up Glen Clova where I caught a nice wild brown Trout. My family left Forfar when I was 14 to the Scottish Borders but returned some 20 years later when my father became manager of Reekies Engineering so I always found myself returning over the years and sadly it was also where both mum & dad and my sister Pamelas funeral services were. Mum took me on the last passenger train to leave Forfar to Perth in 1967. Forfar is famous for its Bridies and Saddlers Bakery being one of the best known family businesses and was taken over by Brian Saddler who I went to school with and a school mate. Although I worked and lived in many countries Forfar from Birth until 2013 (when Mum passed away and the house was sold) was a part of my life from a schoolboy to being aged to go to the pubs and have been to most. I had my very first school girlfriends and kisses there, picked raspberries and Strawberries to make money and when Mum used to go Tattie Howkin (gathering Potatoes in late autumn) I would be there up at 5am for the truck to take some 20 Forfar women to which ever field was due for gathering. So my memories of Forfar are many, compared to other places I lived and worked it was actually pretty limited and never changed that much. There is of course the hill over looking Forfar called Balmashanner Hill - locally known as Bummie and near by a quarry - that wasn't a quarry for us growing up but some mystical place that contained the Red Sea and the Giant Steps and at the top of those steps me and my two sisters scrolled our names back in the 60s and who knows maybe still there although now both my sisters have since passed away. Forgive me for such a long comment but I just thought it maybe interesting one boys story of where he was born and grew up.

[@chethemerc7841]

I moved to Letham on the outskirts of Forfar from Carnoustie a year ago because of my missus. I hate it.

[@JoSpaczynska]

A fantastic video of Forfar and surrounding areas. Didn't realise there were so many lochs

[@gayleblackie]

There's quite a few! I admittedly wasn't aware of loch fithie before shooting everything. Thank you, Jo 😊

[@alisdairmclean8605]

You are obviously a professional. The editing and photography is superb.

[@starduck8014]

Beautiful video thanks from Australia X

[@gayleblackie]

Thank you for watching 😊

[@gtcphotography]

brilliant video Gayle, enjoyed that and even seen things i didn't even know where there. 👍

[@gayleblackie]

Thank you, Gary. The next one will have more unfamiliar sites! Look forward to finishing it now. Just 1 clip I feel needs refilmed due to low light. I could be waiting forever for a sunny day though 😄

[@anneskilton6248]

That is a super video I will have to share this xx

[@gayleblackie]

Thank you, Anne 😊 glad you liked it

[@anneskilton6248]

@@gayleblackie looking forward to your next one xx

[@stuartkennedy4202]

Great seeing and and enjoying this solid stunning production from my home town I visit when I can to see family great memories of my younger days at my granny and grampa’s house. Music was excellent IMO.

[@gayleblackie]

Cheers Stuart 🙂 thank you for that, means a lot. I got a bit lazy and the weather turned poor, but there will be at least another 2 videos if not more

[@skdevnani]

Excellent - really well done

[@karaokeprincezz]

That's gorgeous

[@annalba]

Beautiful.

[@StrathmoreQueen]

Well done Gayle. (From a Forfarian).

[@gayleblackie]

Glad you liked it 😊 hopefully I can get another video out soon.

[@SirMrShanks]

Song at 3:30?

[@gayleblackie]

Hello :) that's the song someone complained about lol. Taryn harbridge - Scarborough fair. It's a serious struggle finding Scottish sounding songs without copyright issues. I've been listing the music at the end of the videos.

[@SirMrShanks]

@@gayleblackie Thankyou very much indeed for your quick reply. i beautiful song! much like many songs here in ireland

[@lordsmeeshofglencoe8113]

I actually watched a video about how they turned rock in to glass to make the fort I will see if I can find the link sounds very similar

[@gayleblackie]

That would be interesting to see. Everything I read about it said it would have happened after a fire. It's prehistoric though, so no documents to back it up lol. Funny you're called lord smeesh of Glencoe... Someone bought me a foot o land in glencoe years ago, so I could have taken the title lady if I'd wanted haha!

[@MR-mn4el]

Enjoyed the video, beautiful scenery and photography .... but would have preferred listening to Scottish music throughout.

[@gayleblackie]

It's actually extremely hard getting copyright free music that is Scottish. I wanted Scottish music too but when you put any song on that's by a mainstream artist KZbin instantly puts in lots of adverts and bans a huge list of countries from seeing your video at all. The next 3 videos have better music though, I managed to find folk doing covers of Scottish songs that don't get caught in the copyright issue.

[@aleksandraaleksejeva1606]

👍👍👍

[@johnpontes812]

Just saw a relative was born here in 1830 James Morris hah

[@gayleblackie]

He'll probably still have a bridie eating ancestor kicking about Forfar area lol.

[@seigneurjesuistoipshaw.5359]

Glamis castle, my most hAted neighbours ever! 👁🫵🏼😡