Upcoming Events

Continuing with our theme of television celebrities, in June FOIL members will be treated to an evening in the company of Jilly McCord, who is best known to some as a finalist in the cooking television series MasterChef. However, looking at her entry in Wikipedia, that is certainly not her only claim to fame. Jilly played lock in a successful career in Woman’s’ Rugby Union but in 2002 was told that she would not make the national team unless she…

A special FOIL visit to Drummond Castle and Gardens hosted by Factor Michael Aldridge. Meet at the Castle car park 6.30 pm, wear sensible shoes. All tickets for this event are £10. Drummond Castle, known for its gardens, is described by Historic Environment Scotland as "the best example of formal terraced gardens in Scotland." Situated in Muthill parish, south of Crieff, the castle comprises a tower house built in the late 15th century, and a 17th-century mansion, both of which…

Mike Riddell-Webster was commissioned into the Black Watch in 1983 and went on to have a distinguished military career during which he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in 2001 and the Distinguished Service Order. In October 2003 he became Deputy Director Equipment Capability (Ground Manoeuvre) at the Ministry of Defence and commander of the 39th Infantry Brigade in Northern Ireland in December 2005, for which he was also awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in 2007.…

Perthshire has long been a county of large agricultural and sporting estates, most of them graced with fine mansion houses. However, the last 150 years has seen the loss of more than 50 of these large mansions - demolished, burnt down or simply abandoned. In this talk, David Robertson will take a fresh look at the history of some of these lost country houses and of the families who lived in them. His talk will be well illustrated with a…