Maybe it was his career as an art teacher that made Martin Boyle see everyday items as objects worth cherishing. Perhaps he was of that generation who did not just dispose of things when they got tired of them.
For whatever reason, the retired Morrison’s Academy teacher spent a lifetime accumulating stuff.
And now he and his family have donated a treasure trove of local history to the team behind the new Crieff and Strathearn Museum.
Mr Boyle went into care recently.
Until then, he had lived in his childhood home, which was crammed with the contents of not only his eight decades in the area, but also his parents and grandparents’ possessions.
The result is a time capsule of local life over the last century or so.
And now Martin Boyle’s mementoes will have pride of place when the new Crieff and Strathearn Museum opens its doors next Easter.
Ann McIntosh, who chairs the Crieff and Strathearn Museum Trust, said the group was bowled over by the family’s generosity.
“Martin Boyle would have been an art teacher at Morrison’s Academy for about 30 years,” she said.
“He was a well known Crieff character. And luckily for us, he doesn’t seem to have thrown anything out.
“Nor had his father, so we’re finding things from his grandparents’ time as well.”
Ann added: “There are mountains of stuff – Victorian and Edwardian clothes, kitchen appliances, children’s games, old newspapers… the entire contents of the family home.
“It’s a treasure trove.”
Martin Boyle collection comes at pivotal time for Crieff Museum
The Crieff and Strathearn Museum trust has accepted as many of Martin Boyle’s possessions as it could make room for.
Some are being stored upstairs at the Town Hall on Crieff High Street.
A great many more are still in boxes in buildings across Crieff.
The intention is to put on a special display when the new Crieff and Strathearn Museum opens next spring.
The trust has been working towards this milestone since 2016.
Its plans took a major leap forward recently when it agreed a lease on the old Crieff Town Hall with Perth and Kinross Council.
The group celebrated the breakthrough during Doors Open Day weekend in September.
Trust secretary John Cowie said it was heartening to see so many people turn out.
“We had more than 100 people through the doors,” he said.
“It was great to see there’s so much interest in the museum already.”
A place for Picts, the Young Pretender and even Santa…
The building itself has a colourful history itself, as a former tollbooth, burgh hall and tourist information office.
A property that old doesn’t come without a few issues. And the museum volunteers will have their hands full dealing with a damp problem before the planned grand opening on the 2024 Easter weekend.
In addition to objects from the Martin Boyle collection, the museum will give them a place to display a host of Crieff treasures, including the old town stocks and the Crieff and Drummond crosses.
The group also owns a collection of around 500 glass plates which once belonged to Muthill photographer John McGregor (1874–1947).
The images provide a unique snapshot of local life around that time and volunteers have been asking people to get in touch if they recognise the people or places they depict.
Vice-chairwoman Marnie Gauld said Crieff and Strathearn had a history all its own – as a seat of justice, a drovers town and a visitor destination, and a community with links to the Romans, the Picts and Bonnie Prince Charlie.
“There is so much history to Crieff, so much to be proud of,” she said.
“It’s lovely that we will finally have a place to tell that story.”
• Crieff Town Hall has one more important role to play before the museum group moves in. From Saturday November 24 to Christmas Eve, it will be home to Santa’s Post Office. The festive attraction is expected to draw crowds from across Scotland to the town.
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