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Spring 2024 Issue 30 £1 

The Wee Vine 

news & resources for the community of Kippen 

INSIDE 

● Special Feature ● Clubs ● Community Affairs 

● Did You Know ● Supporters 

theweevine.org 

www.theweevine.org 1

Welcome 


Editor 

Denis Bradley 

Treasurer 

Stuart Thomson 

Original Design 

Rick Dekker 

Layout 

Stewart Hislop 

Proof Reading 

Annabel Griffin 

Printing 

Mixam 

Website 

www.theweevine.org 

Contact us at: 

enquiries@theweevine.org 

The Wee Vine, The Windings, Fore Road 

Kippen, FK8 3DT 

The Wee Vine is produced quarterly and 

distributed within the Kippen area. 

The Wee Vine magazine accepts no responsibility 

for the return or the condition of unsolicited 

manuscripts, art and photographs. 

Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the 

accuracy of the information contained within 

the magazine, the publishers, printers and their 

agents cannot accept responsibility for the errors 

or omissions. Views held by contributors are their 

own and do not necessarily coincide with those of 

the editorial team. 

We also reserve the right to edit or refuse insertion 

of any article submitted. 

The Wee Vine magazine is published by The Wee 

Vine, which is a not-for-profit organisation. 

Welcome to 

issue 30 of 


So, this is Spring with rain and severe 

winds and hail. However, it is great 

to see the colour and new growth 

coming back. Roll on Summer. 

Village Hall update is on page 6 with Kippen 

Community Trust Funding on page 7. 

Information on the Flower Show and Burns Night 

Supper on page 9. Reading room update on page 13. 

Special photo features of Masnytsa on Pages 10/11 

and The Trossachs Tractor Run on pages 20/21. 

Household waste new booking system information 

on page 24. 

It is a pity we only had 1 club entry for this issue. 

Our next issue is scheduled for the second half of 

July and contributions will be needed by 30th June. 

Your feedback about the Wee Vine is important 

to us so please get in touch with your comments/ 

ideas for this year. 

Email to enquiries@theweevine.org or text/ 

Whatsapp to 07736 362011. If you wish to donate 

go to https://theweevine.org/donations/ If 

you would like your photograph featured on the 

front cover, send to enquiries@theweevine. 

org (minimum size 1 MB). This should feature a 

seasonal picture at time of printing. 

Cover photograph of the Church Garden by Denis 

Bradley. 

Index 

Special Feature 3 

Clubs 5 

Community Affairs 6 

Did You Know 22 

The Wee Vine Supporters 31 

2 www.theweevine.or

Special Feature 

Meeting schedule 

Meetings take place on the second Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm in the Reading 

Rooms (with the exception of January, July and August). In 2024 the AGM will take place 

on Wednesday 8 th May. 

Wednesday 10 th April 

2024 

Wednesday May 8 th 

2024 (AGM) 

Wednesday June 12 th 

2024 

Wednesday September 

11 th 2024 

Wednesday October 

9 th 2024 

Wednesday November 

13 th 2024 

Wednesday December 

11 th 2024 

Community Council Members 

Derek Shanks (Chair) 

Barbara Ross (Vice Chair) 

Michaela Yates (Secretary) 

Robert Clubb (Treasurer) 

Margaret Beaton (Planning) 

Scott Crawford 

Ann Milligan 

Christine Stewart 

Michaela Yates has indicated that she is 

stepping down from KCC effective from 

the April 2024 meeting onwards. A new 

secretary will be appointed at the AGM 

along with other office bearers. If anyone 

would like to join KCC there is room for a 

further two committee members; it would 

be great to have more people on board. 

Contacting Kippen Community Council 

If you wish to contact KCC about any 

issue please either come along to 

a meeting or email your concern to 

kippencommunitycouncil@gmail.com. 

In the first instance you will receive an 

automated response confirming that your 

email has been received. 

Stirling Council Budget Cuts 

Stirling Council set their final budget on 29 th 

February 2024. As everyone is probably 

aware cuts are now in the pipeline which 

will undoubtedly have a negative impact 

on a whole range of public services. The 

full list of cuts can be accessed on Stirling 

Council’s website. One good outcome is 

that cuts to the X10 bus service are not 

going ahead but the battle to retain the 

current timetable has not ended as the 

service will be subject to a further review. 

Reading Room Defibrillator 

There was a fantastic response by Kippen 

residents to KCC’s fundraising request for 

repairs and upgrading of the defibrillator 

located outside of the Reading Room. A 

total of £905 was raised via our Go Fund 

Me Page which resulted in a final total of 

£867.47 once fees and commission had 

been paid. A big thank you to everyone 

who contributed to this important repair/ 

upgrade. We are hoping that SAR will carry 

out the required work as soon as possible. 

In addition, KCC has put in an application to 

The British Heart Foundation for a further 

defibrillator to be located outside of the 

Village Hall on the Fore Road. We hope to 

hear the outcome of the application in the 

near future. 

Repairs to the bridge over the burn on 

the village green 

The repairs required to the bridge over the 

burn on the village green have turned out 

to be more extensive than first thought. A 

temporary repair has been carried out to 

one side of the bridge and it is hoped that 

work to do the full repairs will commence 

in the very soon. 


Special Feature 

Giant hogweed: the story so far 

Giant hogweed is a non-native species 

whose sap contains a phototoxic chemical 

that causes severe 

skin blisters, burns 

and even blindness. 

In addition, invasive 

species are one of 

the five main drivers 

of biodiversity loss. 

We reported in the last edition of The 

Wee Vine that KCC had contacted Stirling 

Council about the increasing spread 

of giant hogweed in the area. They 

responded by saying that giant hogweed 

is the landowner’s responsibility. 

One of our MSPs Evelyn Tweed was 

subsequently contacted and she 

responded quite quickly and offered to put 

our questions concerning its control and 

eradication to Lorna Slater, the Scottish 

Government’s Minister for Green Skills, 

Circular Economy and Biodiversity who 

has the portfolio responsibility for invasive 

non-native species. She confirmed that the 

management of non-native plants such 

as giant hogweed lies with landowners 

and occupiers. While it is an offence to 

grow in the wild any plant that is out 

with its native range, it is not an offence 

for a landowner to have them on their 

land, so there is no legal requirement to 

remove them. However, local authorities 

have discretionary powers under Section 

80 of the Environmental Protection Act 

1990 to issue an abatement notice where 

giant hogweed is a risk to public health. 

Unfortunately, these powers are not 

widely used. Nature Scotland also has 

discretionary powers under Section 14D 

of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to 

require owners and occupiers to control 

non-native plants on their land. 

The Scottish Government is apparently 

developing an Action Plan for invasive nonnative 

species, but in the meantime much 

of the eradication that is occurring in the 

central belt is being carried out by small 

groups of volunteers. A more coordinated 

and ambitious approach is currently 

underway to tackle invasive non-native 

species along watercourses and rivers 

in Northern Scotland. Information about 

this project and dealing with invasive 

species can be found on the Scottish 

Invasive Species Initiative website (www. 

invasivespecies.scot). 

As giant hogweed most definitely has 

health issues then it may be a good idea 

for community members to report areas 

of giant hogweed to both Stirling Council 

and Nature Scotland to try to stimulate a 

more proactive eradication programme, 

especially where the plant is located in 

areas where people are most likely to 

come into contact with it. 

Local Place Plan and Community Action 

Plan 

Members of KCC together with a 

representative from the Windfarm Trust 

recently took part in a workshop with Paul 

Ede from the Planning Aid Scotland (PAS) 

to help with the further development 

of a Local Place Plan for Kippen. It was 

agreed that it would be a good idea to 

produce a Community Action Plan as part 

of the community consultation initiative. 

More details and further progress will be 

included in the next edition of The Wee 

Vine. 

Keep in touch 

We welcome any questions, comments 

and suggestions from residents and it’s 

easy to get in touch. 

You can read about what we do and pick 

up the latest news on our website at 

https://kippencc.org.uk 

You can contact us via the website at 

https://kippencc.org.uk/contact-us 

You can email us at 

kippencommunitycouncil@gmail.com 

4 www.theweevine.org

Kippen Bowling Club 

Clubs 

The AGM of the Club was held on 25 th February when Frank Brown was elected President 

for a further year - other office bearers and a committee were duly appointed and 

arrangements for the forthcoming season were discussed. The formal opening of the 

green for the 2024 season will take place on the afternoon of Sunday 21 st April at 1.30pm 

(for 2pm). 

Looking further ahead the Club will celebrate its centenary in 2025 and some initial 

thought was given as to how this achievement might be marked. Although no decisions 

have been taken as yet the general feeling was that as we are a small club we should try 

to create an occasion which involves the wider village. A small group will be drawing up 

proposals and any suggestions would be welcome. 

As well as our internal club nights and competitions we will as usual be entering teams this 

season in the district league and the district and county knock out competitions. 

We welcome anyone who wishes to join us or simply have a go. The Club nights are 

on Monday evenings at 6.45pm and additionally we meet for fun bowls on Thursday 

afternoons at 1.45pm. We would really be pleased to see you. 

John F. Anderson 

01786 870 001 


Community Affairs 

Village Hall News 

Save the Date! 

Halloween “Hoolie” Ceilidh - 26th October 

- Ghoulish fun for all ages and spirited 

dancing to a live ceilidh band with all 

proceeds going towards much-needed 

village hall renovations and refurbishments. 

Keep an eye on the Village of Kippen and 

Kippen Village Hall Facebook pages for more 

information and ticket sales, etc. 

Join the Team! 

The departure of some long-serving village hall members this year means we are urgently 

seeking fresh faces to join our friendly committee. If you have experience in event planning 

or digital marketing, it would be a bonus, but whatever your experience, a willingness to 

contribute a small amount of your time, ideas, and energy to helping us maintain this 

invaluable village resource, would be hugely appreciated. We usually meet once every 

couple of months and there is always wine involved! If you are interested, please text or 

WhatsApp Alice Boyd on 07849746529. 

Book Online! 

Regular weekly activities are listed below, and if you are interested in using the Hall for 

community and family events/celebrations, you can check availability on the booking 

website - https://hallbookingonline.com/kippen. Please also keep an eye on our Kippen 

Village Hall Facebook page for updates/events or email us at kippenvillagehall@gmail. 

com if you’d like to see inside the Hall or ask any questions. 

Mon 19.00 Yoga 

20.45 Badminton 

Tue 09.30 Playgroup (term-time only) 

18.30 Fitness Class 

19.30 Badminton Club (resumes 5th Sept) 

Wed 10.00 Strength & Balance Class 

20.30 Badminton 

Thu 08.30 Fitness Class 

9.50 Carer’s Fitness Class 

10.15 Toddlers 

Fri 09.30 Playgroup (term-time only) 

Sat 08.45 Fitness Class 

(Contact details / further info for the above activities can be found by clicking on the calendar 

event on the bookings website) 


Kippen Community Trust Funding 


A meeting of Kippen Community Trust Funding Panel (Windfarm) was held at the Kippen 

Reading Rooms, Wednesday 21 st February. 

Updates to on-going projects were discussed; no significant concerns were identified, 

although some projects are still suffering from covid impacts. On-going applications 

include, but not limited to: 

• Reading Rooms – New Projector, enhancing the facilities for talks, lectures and 

presentations in the main hall. 

• Kippen Heritage – Archaeological Dig 2024, scheduled for 19 th - 22 nd May at Keir Hill 

of Dasher. 

• Kippen Woodland Group - Improve Pond-side Path, delays due to weather and 

emergent conditions found on the western bank. 

• Kippen Heritage - Old Kirk Restoration, the proposed schedule has been significantly 

delayed by problems determining ownership and securing insurance (now resolved), 

consequently the project team had to seek refreshed quotes for the works. We hope 

to see progress in the spring. 

Two new applications were duly assessed and supported. 

• Kippen Football Club – digitalisation of archives following requests for further 

information and clarification on minor points the panel felt this ambitious project 

was beneficial to the local community and wider public interest. 

• Kippen Wee Vine – funding support the panel recognised that the Wee Vine is a 

quality locally focused publication that is welcomed in the homes of the village. The 

application for funds to help cover increasing printing costs for two years was agreed. 

Grants are funded by Renantis and administered by the Kippen Community Trust with 

support from Foundation Scotland. The fund can support a wide variety of community 

projects in the Kippen area and residents are encouraged to submit qualifying applications 

for consideration. 

If anyone wants further information about applying for money they should contact 

Margaret Beaton (margaret.beaton@yahoo.com or 01786 870536) or Caroline Thompson 

(carolinewthompson@gmail.com or 07880 717493). 

We currently have two vacancies on the KCTF Panel, a diverse group of volunteers 

reflecting our neighbourhood is really beneficial, so if you think this may be of interest to 

you or would like further information please contact Mike Bastock (bastockmike@gmail. 

com or 07565207074) or Caroline as above. This important and interesting role influences 

the distribution of available funds to our community but honestly isn’t demanding on your 

time. 

The date of next meeting is currently scheduled for June. 

Mike Bastock 



Kippen Community Woodland Group 

It’s been a busy start to the year in Burnside Wood. Storms at the start 

of the year highlighted that the Black Brae path was still vulnerable 

to overflow from the Cuthbertson Burn, so we built up the eastern 

edge and cleared the Burn to enable it to run freely. 

Having obtained funding from Kippen Community Trust, we had 

hoped that by now the pond boardwalk would have been removed, 

the outlet from the pond culverted and 

the surface made suitable for walking on. 

However, it has become apparent that the 

western edge of the pond needs to be fixed 

before aggregate can be put in place. With 

a bit of lateral thinking, we have managed 

to replace the broken slats on the pond 

boardwalk and have decided to keep it in 

place whilst quotes and additional funding 

are obtained for fixing the bank & pond 

overflow later this year. The boardwalk is 

showing its age, so please take care when 

walking on it and tread lightly. 

Whilst reviewing the current overflow 

arrangement, it was identified that some 

silver birch trees along the western edge of 

the pond need to be felled to improve access 

and prevent damage. This was completed 

early March, thanks to Wallace Weir of Weir 

Forestry kindly sacrificing his leisure time to 

complete the complex felling in a very skilled 

and efficient manner. 

Following an increase in the number of Kippen 

Football Club spectators, the Woodland 

Group was approached to help clear 

overhanging branches from southern edge of football pitch. We are pleased to report that 

whilst Wallace Weir was hard at work with his chain saw, members of the Group were busy 

with saws and loppers. There is now loads of space for spectators to watch all around the 

football pitch when conditions improve. 

Woodland work mornings are held on the 

first Sunday of the month with a start time 

of 10.30am. All equipment is provided, 

and we would encourage local residents 

to become involved. Please get in touch via 

kippenwoodlandgroup@gmail.com if you 

would like to find out more about the work of 

the Group or receive details of our activities. 

Paula Watson, Secretary 


Flower Show 

This year’s flower show will be held on 

Saturday August 17th in the Village Hall, 

with set up on Friday evening and Saturday 

morning. 

The committee has been reviewing the 

content of the schedule with a view 

to simplifying criteria and making the 

categories more appealing to a wider 

range of folk. It is hoped that there will 

be even more entries this year and that 

people will feel welcome to give it a go. 

The new schedules will be available in 

McNicolls and other local venues soon so 

you can plan what to grow, make or create. 

Other developments have been under 

discussion. Many will remember 

the open gardens event in Fore Road 

in 2010 that was much enjoyed. The 

committee are seeking views on whether 

there would be interest in running a villagewide 

event next year. Gardens are used 

by people in many ways. You may have a 

wild flower garden, an adventure park, a 

cultivated rose garden, a beautiful view, a 

hidden garden, a water garden, a garden 

of raised beds, a productive greenhouse, 

a well-established composting system you 

would be prepared to share…If you would 

be interested in taking part, either by 

hosting visitors to your garden or offering 

suggestions for inclusion, Frances Carlaw 

would love to hear from you. You can 

contact her on: 

francescarlaw@gmail.com or she can be 

found at Lavender House opposite the Inn 

at Kippen. 

Tracy Hepburn 


Kippen Burns Supper 2025 

– A date for your diary 

The Kippen Burns Supper will take place 

on Saturday 25 January 2025 in the Village 

Hall. Held biennially, and organised by the 

Friends of Kippen Kirk Trust, the Burns 

Supper is a very popular event and there 

has been a waiting list for tickets on the last 

two occasions. There will be a great lineup 

of speakers, and we hope once again 

to have one of the pupils from Kippen 

Primary to recite a short Burns poem. It’s a 

happy community event, commemorating 

our National Bard, rather than too serious 

an evening of Burns! 

So, Save the Date, and if you want to put 

your name down for tickets, please contact 

myself (07885 627600 or smh@glentirran. 

co.uk) or Mary Lawson (07884 423797 

or mary.lawson1@btinternet.com) 

A preview of speakers and singers will 

appear in future editions of The Wee Vine 

and the Kippen Facebook page. 

Sir Michael Hirst 

Thistle Cottage 

Fore Road 

Kippen 

Stirlingshire, FK8 3DT 

Tel. +44 (0)1786 870283 

Mobile +44 (0)7885 627600 

Cross Keys Quiz 

The Cross Keys holds a monthly quiz on the evening of the last Saturday of each month, 

with a donation being made each month to local charities or community businesses. This 

month (April) money raised from that quiz, on the 27 th , will be donated to the Wee Vine. It 

is a very enjoyable evening, so please turn up and support. 




Masnytsa 

Kippen Football Field was the venue for 

the Stirlingshire Ukrainian community 

to celebrate Masnytsa. This festival has 

pagan origins. An effigy of “Winter” was 

burned to release her from her seasonal 

duties before her return next winter. 

Participants then welcomed spring. The 

village cubs took responsibility for the fire 

and the burning of “Winter” and gained 

their international badge as a result. 



This festival is also associated with eating pancakes, 

similar to the Christian tradition at the beginning 

of lent. It is important for Ukrainians to be able 

to maintain their traditions and they welcome 

the opportunity to share them with others. Many 

Ukrainians mingled with locals to enjoy traditional 

foods – field porridge, BBQ, borscht and pancakes with 

varied savoury and sweet fillings. There were stalls, 

music, a sword performance, games and activities. 

Some rose to the challenge of drinking cocktails in 

a ski shot. The cocktail was creatively mixed with 

ingredients representing the blue and yellow of the 

Ukrainian flag. The highlight for many was dancing 

around the fire to traditional music. 

Support from Kippen for Ukraine, Forth Valley 

Welcome and Kippen Cubs was much appreciated. 

Thank you also to all the individuals and organisations 

who lent equipment and pairs of hands. 



Kippen Heritage 

Kippen Old Kirk and Kirkyard 

Keir Hill Archaeological Dig 2024 - 30th May to 2nd June 

Kippen Heritage are delighted to be 

able to report that we are at last able to 

proceed with repairs to the masonry of 

Kippen Old Kirk. 

It is anticipated that the work can begin 

in late July or August and will be the first 

stage in the project to make the Kirkyard 

safe to allow access again. 

This will be followed by stabilising over 

20 dangerous memorials by Stirling 

Council, before we will be able to invite 

volunteers again to deal 

with the undergrowth, form paths and 

generally ensure the kirkyard is safe for 

visitors. 

Kippen Heritage are most grateful to 

Kippen Community Windfarm Fund and 

Falk Renewables who have provided the 

bulk of the funding for this project and 

the annual Archaeological Dig below. 

Having already found evidence of the 

Keir being fortified in the 1st century 

(Viking/Pictish/Roman era) and again in 

the 10th century (Kenneth II), last year 

we unearthed 12th century domestic 

pottery suggesting the early days of 

Kippen. 

We will of course be looking for 

volunteers again to assist. Please email 

irene.chapman@mac.com if you wish 

to take part. 

Visitor’s Afternoon will take place on 

Saturday the 1st June and this year we 

will invite parents/grandparents etc, 

to bring along children to give them an 

opportunity to dig. 


Kippen Reading Room 

We have moved into 2024 with our new 

Booking System up and running, thanks 

to the efforts of Betty McAllister as 

she retires from the post of Honorary 

Secretary. 

We realise immediately how much we will 

miss her hard work behind the scenes as 

we search for her replacement. Betty took 

us through a very difficult time - as we 

were faced with much reconstruction and 

the elimination of dry rot in the premises, 

followed by Covid. 

Betty held our activities together while we 

rebuilt our main internal rooms and have 

presented a new, refreshed set of Rooms 

to the village. 

We now have a suite of rooms downstairs, 

with a new kitchen, all supported by an 

active committee. 

Betty can look back on this with satisfaction, 

and we all thank her for her work. 

With all of our committee members 

currently committed elsewhere, we now 

need a new member to take on Betty’s 

role. If you are reading this and are 

interested, please contact myself (Jeremy 

Gaywood 01786 870255) or Ricky Muir- 

Simpson (01786 870351) or any member 

of the committee. 

The Kippen Cuppa, run by Ali Thom and 

helpers, is the most obvious function 

which involves the village, every Thursday 

afternoon. We would like to expand this 

type of function, which brings people 

together – something that simply stopped 

as Covid took over. 

Our Garden will be opened up as the 

weather warms up, and is now accessible 

from the Garden Room, and will offer 

somewhere for any member of the village 

to come and meet with their friends. 

Our Projector System has now become 

difficult to manage and will be replaced 

by new equipment as soon as practicable. 

Otherwise, our facilities for functions are 

now excellent and the screen system 

works well. 


Private functions are most welcome in 

our main Hall and in the Garden Room 

and are well supported by our excellent 

kitchen. 

Our Main Hall has been deliberately 

established to be decorated by users 

who wish to hold their private functions – 

birthday parties, dinners, and any function 

serving up to thirty people. This room, 

together with the Garden Room, provide a 

very flexible facility for small to mediumsized 

functions. 

The main hall has been used for many 

years by the Rural and also for films. 

This room is also used on a regular basis 

for meetings of our Community Council. 

Upstairs, we can offer a Committee Room 

for meetings and two further rooms, a 

sitting room and an office (the Tower 

Room) for occasional use. 

Heritage has an office upstairs, and 

occasionally displays its collections of 

village history downstairs. 

We are also pleased to offer 

accommodation to the U3A (University 

of the Third Age) which has a branch in 

Callender, and which has invited villages 

in the area to present their local histories. 

Tom Begg has kindly given such a talk 

on the subject of Kippen, in the Reading 

Room. 

The Kippen Reading Room seeks to 

become a centre of village life – for all 

those smaller functions which do not 

need the full facilities offered by Kippen 

Village Hall. 

Kippen Village is blessed by having two 

complementary establishments in which 

to hold its functions. In these difficult 

times, the committees of both facilities 

urge everyone to make the best possible 

use of both facilities. 

Please note that our AGM will be held on 

23 rd April. 

Jeremy Gaywood 



RAILTON SCOTT CANCER APPEAL 

Once again Kippen came “up trumps” in raising the wonderful sum of net £5,845.20. A great 

night was had at the Village Hall on 2nd February with 33 tables of whist. Unfortunately, 

there were a few cancellations on the night due to ill-health. There was the old familiar 

buzz of chatter with folk catching up with 

friends and perhaps, a few raised eyebrows 

at some perceived misplay! 

Peter Singleton opened the proceedings with 

a resume of when and how this fund-raising 

appeal started in Kippen which I am sure 

was of great interest to those new to the 

village. From modest beginnings, the Appeal 

has evolved into be a major fundraiser for 

Cancer Research UK and we were fortunate 

in having Peter as our President for the 2024 

Card Master Kirsty Cuthbert 

Appeal. 

After many years of devoted service in 

making the teas, Helen Wilson had to call off 

at the last minute due to a nasty bug. Helen 

is so adept at making the tea that she prefers 

to be in sole control, so it took three people 

to step in in her place. Val Beaton, Maureen 

Pithie and Janet Gaywood saved the day, 

and our thanks to them for helping. 

As always, the Committee is extremely 

grateful for the help that goes into making 

this a successful event: to the Collectors for 

their dedicated selling of raffle tickets, the Ellen with Fraser and Sophia 

businesses who donate prizes and of course the people who come to play whist on the 

night. I should particularly like to thank all 

the people in Kippen and district who bought 

the raffle tickets at their doors. 

If anyone is interested in helping as a 

Collector with next year’s Appeal, please 

contact Naomi 07811 812241 or Kirsty 07565 

142191. 

Val Beaton and Maureen Pithie, the tea makers 

Naomi 



Over 60s Christmas Dinner 

The over 60s Christmas Dinner is one of the village highlights of the year. It is usually held 

on the first Monday in December-that would mean the 2nd December this year, so put 

that provisional date in your diary. If you are new to the village or haven’t been receiving 

an invitation and would like to, then please email to make sure you are on the list for 

invitations for 2024. The address is gtracyhepburn@gmail.com. 

Fundraising takes place throughout the year. In the past the dinner has been entirely free 

but perhaps this year a small ticket price will be required. The committee chaired by Dawn 

Warttig has been meeting to plan some events. We have new committee members- Jordan 

Buchanan and Louise Oswald who will be helping to empty your pockets for our worthy 

cause! 

It is planned to hold a ceilidh and auction on a date yet to be confirmed. You will be able 

to bid for some items that money can’t buy! If you have any suggestions or offers for this 

please speak to Allan Hunter our treasurer. The ceilidh will also be an opportunity to show 

our Ukrainian guests how we like to party and to exhibit our national dress. It would be 

wonderful to have a good number of kilts on show. At Street Fayre a return of the plate 

smashing stall is planned- a great chance to engage in some noisy, destructive activity but 

with a positive outcome. Young mums especially have reported this was a great stressbuster 

last year. We are grateful to Judy Reed who made donations for the china shards 

for her mosaic making. Donations of plants will also be requested for sale. If anyone has 

heavy netting such as for cricket or golf practice nets they would be willing to donate, 

Laurence Hepburn would be glad to hear from them. 

A jumble sale is pencilled in for 14th September in the Village Hall. 

Football cards will be on sale in the Cross Keys and collecting cans will be found in the 

pubs and Village Shop. More details on the above to follow. 

Tracy Hepburn 



Primary 1/2 

Primary 1/2 have been extremely busy this term. To start Term 3 off, we looked specifically 

at Scotland. We created Robert Burns Factfiles, explored different tartans and textures 

and recited different Scottish poems. For the annual Scots Poetry Competition, Primary 

one recited ‘The Circus’ by J.K Annad. Primary two looked at a Scots language version of 

‘Giraffes Can’t Dance’ by Giles Andreae called ‘Giraffes Cannae Dance.’ 

Before beginning our new topic, Primary 1/2 completed a wide range of activities during 

Health Week. We explored different ways to show our emotions and who we can trust 

with our feelings. At the beginning of Term 1 Primary 1/2 revealed our emotions through 

the Colour Monster series. The Colour Monster book engages children to recognise 5 

emotions, happiness, anger, sadness, fear and calm but also to learn how they make 

us feel. During Health week, we referred back to this and have now continued our daily 

check-ins each morning. We worked closely with Active Stirling, participating in a wide 

range of sports. However, we took part in team building games and problem-solving 

activities, which were great fun! 

Primary 1/2 began the topic of Fairyland in February. We stayed connected with the 

Friendly Dragon through our ‘Dragon Mail,’ exploring letter writing, storytelling and recipe 

writing. Through creating our own bean stalk for Jack to climb, we received a visit from 

the Giant. We planted our own beanstalks and drew castles to attach above. We created 

our own castle books which told a story to the dragon, which kept him up to date with our 

Fairyland progress. We counted beans and explored different ways of measuring objects, 

whilst estimating how many beans tall we were. Through Expressive Arts and writing we 

were able to construct magnificent wall displays, turning our classroom into Fairyland. 

This topic spared a lot of joy and excitement and was a pleasure to take part in. We cannot 

wait to see what Term 4 brings! 

Primary 2/3 

Primary 2/3 have been very busy throughout Term 3. As 

usual, we started the year with Scottish learning context. 

Our focus was Scottish food and we learned about where 

our food comes from and tasted a range of Scottish foods. 

For the annual Scots Poetry Competition, Primary 2 recited 

a Scots language version of ‘Giraffes Can’t Dance’ by Giles 

Andreae called ‘Giraffes Cannae Dance’. Primary 3 had an 

opportunity to learn a Scots poem of their choice and recite it on their own. 

In February we started to learn about Dinosaurs. We had so much fun. We made a volcano 

in the class and used it during play. We learned about Mary Anning who was one of the 

first palaeontologists. We created our own dig site and searched for fossils in the sand. 

To help us understand how big the dinosaurs were we measured out some different 

dinosaur footprints and hung them on the wall in our classroom. We also learned about 

continents and looked at where in the world dinosaurs’ fossils have been discovered. 

Health week was also a highlight this term. P2/3 participated in a wide range of sporting 

activities both indoors and outdoors. Thought the week our focus was Growth Mindset 

and Substance Misuse where we learned about the importance of keeping safe around 

medicines and other harmful substances. Primary 2/3 have also been taking part in 

‘Massage in Schools’ this term. This programme aims to create improved concentration 

levels, calmer classrooms and increase children’s self-esteem and confidence. P2/3 have 

thoroughly enjoyed this. Such a lovely experience! 


Primary 3/4 Term 3 


It has been a term of poetry, science, inventions and polar exploration for p3/4. For 

our Scottish focus at the start of the term we started by finding out about Alexander 

Fleming and the invention of Penicillin. To help our learning we carried out the mouldy 

bread experiment which led to some interesting growths in the classroom (thankfully in 

sealed bags)! The class then learned about 

Alexander Graham Bell and John Logie Baird. 

All of the class recited a poem as part of our 

work for Burns Night, and it was great to see 

the finalists perform in front of the entire 

school. 

After Burns it was off to the Polar Regions! We 

started by using a Venn Diagram to identify 

the similarities and differences between the 

Arctic and Antarctica, before moving onto 

to create fact files on Polar animals, such as 

penguins (Arctic) and polar bears (Antarctica), plus the always popular Arctic Fox. The class 

also enjoyed learning about the Inuit People, looking at their customs, clothing, traditions 

and Igloos. Having looked at explorers such as Scott and Shackleton the class showed 

off their engineering skills by using Loose Parts equipment to build their very own ‘Arctic 

shelters’ – and the Kippen Wind added extra authenticity! They also created lots of Polar 

themed art, including watercolours of the Northern Lights. 

We also had a lot of fun during Health week. A key theme was connections and kindness. 

The class planted some spring bulbs and delivered them to the school neighbours as a 

thank you for always retrieving and returning balls. We got to play hockey, golf and rugby 

(despite the freezing conditions). To think about healthy eating we created food faces 

based on the work of Giuseppe Arcimboldo – “I liked making a face which I was then able to 

eat!” Lilly. 

Primary 4/5 

This term Primary 4/5 celebrated the first 

signs of spring. We combined outdoor 

learning and literacy to create poems 

celebrating different signs of early spring. 

We explored the outdoors, recording all 

the signs of spring that we could see. 

Next, we used our senses and collected 

adjectives to describe each sign of spring. 

Then we identified verbs to describe 

what they do or how they move. Finally, 

the children used all the words they 

had collected to produce beautifully 

descriptive poems, incorporating simile 

and alliteration. 

The class poems are proudly displayed in the school alongside art that includes simple spring 

doodles drawn on top of spring shades in watercolours. 



Primary 5/6 

This term in p5/6 our main topic was our 

Treasure Island show. As part of this, we wrote 

stories inspired by the Treasure Island plot, 

focusing on the pace of our writing, developing 

good editing skills and using descriptive 

vocabulary like adverbs more effectively. We 

also reflected regularly on what we were doing 

in the show through personal writing. 

In art, we have tried drawing ships in different 

styles, both cartoon and realistic. We used 

colouring pencils to colour in our realistic 

drawing in a moody, atmospheric way. This 

term, we have also explored printing using 

different objects from around the school to 

create different textures, inspired by a painting we saw online. We then chose a simple 

shape and painted around this to create an interesting, textured piece of art. We learned 

more about Charles Rennie Macintosh and used his art as inspiration for some stained 

glass rose art using coloured pens. Most recently, we learned how to draw realistic bees 

and then used hexagon shapes to tile a honeycomb background which we then painted 

and added texture to. This linked to the 2D shape work which we had been doing in 

numeracy. 

We have been lucky to have our PE specialist, Mrs Smith, this term and we have done 

team-building activities, gymnastics and volleyball with her. “I liked how we were doing 

things which we needed good teamwork for in PE,” said Daniel. 

P5 pupils in the class have continued going to Soundstart once a week, where they are 

learning to play different band instruments. “It is really fun learning how to play different 

notes and working as a team to make it sound good,” said Sophia. P6 pupils have been 

involved in Sports Leaders where they have run sports clubs at break times once a week 

for other pupils in the school. “It has been really fun to be a leader because I had not done 

that before and it made me feel happy and helpful,” said Anna. 

Primary 6/7 Term 3 

Our class had a fun filled and exciting term during Term 3. The 

P7s started off the term by preparing for and performing our 

Burns Supper. During this event, our Primary 7 pupils created 

an afternoon of poems, songs and musical accompaniments. 

We entertained our parents, carers and esteemed guests. 

This was all to celebrate the life and work of Robert Burns. 

In art, P6/7 used Scottish images to create and present 

artwork such as the iconic Irn Bru bottle. 

Recent writing focused on creating imaginative pieces including alliteration, metaphors, similes 

and onomatopoeia where the class produced some very effective texts to entertain the reader. 

Additionally, we performed our school show based on the classic tale of ‘Treasure Island.’ Our 

audience enjoyed our all singing, all dancing performance. In the lead up to our performance, 

we created props and learned more about the life of a pirate. 



Primary 7 pupils ended the term with their residential trip to Ardentinny. They had a fantastic 

adventure testing their limits and developing their problem-solving skills while the P6s enjoyed 

collaborating with the P5/6 class in school. 

Primary 7 Residential 

The boys and girls from Primary 7 enjoyed a great 

week on their residential at Ardentinny Outdoor 

Centre, near Dunoon. This gave them a great 

opportunity to develop new skills and qualities 

whilst meeting new children. Some of the standout 

activities were gorge walking, rock hopping and 

archery. Whilst the range of activities were diverse, 

they all challenged the children and required them to 

work effectively as part of a team. 

For many, the experience of being away from home was a challenge in itself. Ardentinny 

centre fosters the young people’s sense of independence by encouraging them to take 

ownership of organising their equipment and clothes etc., and cleaning communal areas. 

Through all this they develop a real sense of resilience. 

At the end of the three days, all the children were very tired. However, they also left with 

a huge sense of accomplishment. Many had surprised themselves with how well they had 

coped and what they had achieved in the three short days. The final night was topped 

off by a disco where the children had great fun with the new friends they had made from 

Fintry, Drymen and Bucchlyvie primary schools. 

“We loved the gorge walk, I looked how we had to scramble up the waterfall. Even though it was 

hard to do, if you can just grit your teeth and bear it is really fun.” Fraser C 

“I like the water so loved the rock hop. I also learned a lot about trees. I feel really good about 

the whole experience.” Flynn 

Treasure Island, P4-7 School Show 

Primaries 4,5,6 and 7 put on 2 fabulous 

performances of Treasure Island in the Village Hall in 

March. The cast included pirates, mice and villagers 

and they performed to a sell-out crowd on both 

nights. Trying to co-ordinate 80 school children in a 

performance was a challenging task and there was 

a lot of preparation and organisation that went into 

the show. The successful performances relied on a 

lot of work and dedication from the school staff and 

a commitment from all the pupils involved. It is wonderful to have a village facility to use 

for performances. We lost count of how often we walked down to the hall! Many thanks to 

everyone involved. We had some super parent helpers who sourced costumes and props. 

“Treasure Island was an amazing adventure. My character, Long John Silver, was an evil pirate. 

It was interesting and fun to learn how they survived and what they did.” George P6 

“It was really scary at first on the stage because everyone was watching but it was fun.” Patsy P6 

“When I was backstage I was nervous but when I went on stage it was fine.” Jess P6 

“I really enjoyed doing the play. When I watched it on the night I thought everyone was brilliant.” 

Johnnie P6 



Tractor Run 

MORE than 40 classic tractors trundled 50 

miles through the Scottish countryside in 

memory of a beloved local blacksmith. 

The Trossachs Tractor Run is held in memory 

of Arnprior blacksmith Bobby Gunn, who 

died suddenly at work in 2017. 

Robert Wilson, from Kippen, organised the 

procession on Sunday, which saw 45 tractor 

drivers commit to the 50-mile loop around 

Stirlingshire. 

The route began in Bobby’s hometown of 

Arnprior, before passing through Kippen, 

Fintry, Balfron, Gartmore, Aberfoyle, 

Blairhoyle and Thornhill, and reaching the 

finish line back in Arnprior. 



Photography Ali Evans & Annabel Griffin 


Did you know 

Minister’s Musings 

On a journey… 

‘There is a time and season for 

everything’ is the phrase that is 

ancient and for some brings comfort 

in grief or change in circumstances. 

I’ve been on a journey of studying 

these words from the book of 

Ecclesiastes in the bible, which is 

part of the wisdom books written 

centuries before Jesus was born. 

Wise words for ancient days that 

need some wrestling with for our 

21 st century lived experiences. 

After Easter this year, I’m journeying 

with the book of Ecclesiastes 

and its challenging phrases 

of the meaninglessness of life 

and all our pursuits. In Sunday 

services (starting 14 th April) we will 

explore such phrases as ‘vanity 

of all vanities,’ ‘chasing after the 

wind,’ ‘eat, drink, and be merry,’ and 

‘’fear God, and follow God’s ways.’ 

Reading these ancient words in a 

season of life I’m in with the family, 

in the world we see struggling, and 

at a time of change and conflict 

force me to journey with my faith 

and the wisdom needed for our 

22 www.theweevine.org 

The Easter egg planter returned to the front of the church for 

Easter. Decorations thanks to the Children’s Corner creatives 

and planting thanks to Lindsay Frost. The planter was the 

idea of the late John Fulton and he and wife Sheila created 

many beautiful displays in it over the years. The metal frame 

was built by Eric Lewis. 

journey into the future. My favourite phrase now has been ‘chasing after the wind’ and 

how much of life feels that way now. 

Life, whether one with a faith in God or not, is a journey and at times it is a wilderness 

journey where the path is not obvious nor easy. Life in all its joys and sorrows is a journey 

nourished by those with whom we share the time and travelling. Life in community is 

learning and growing together. Ancient wisdom from family ancestors, wise people we 

resonate with in our own days, nourish and encourage us as we move through life. What 

a gift it is to wrestle with the questions and the questing of these days with others and, 

for me, with God who is love. 

Change is in the works. The congregations of the local churches have voted, and change 

is coming for how we work together. There is an unknown part of the story. We must 

learn to work together in new ways, like parenting in each new phase or moving into a 

new relationship, it is a process and sometimes takes more time and effort than you were 

initially anticipating. Yet, I trust and believe that God is with us, and God’s love inspires 

how we journey through change together. In all times and seasons, God’s love is and 

people of faith are invited to journey in God’s ways together. 

God bless, Ellen

Kippen and Norrieston Churches - Guild 

Did you know 

Look Forward in Faith - “New Wine, New Wineskins” 

The Guild does not meet during the Summer months. However, following the visit of David 

Smith to speak to members about the Fintry Museum, an outing has been arranged to visit 

the Museum. The chosen date is Wednesday 24 th April leaving Kippen at 1.30 p.m. Tea/coffee 

etc. will be available in the Sports Centre. All welcome but please check details about booking 

nearer the time. 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow 

with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 

Further information is available from Joanna M. McPhail - joanna.mcphail@btinternet. 

com or 01786 870681 

Kippen Community Quilters 

Kippen Community Quilters are holding 

their third quilt show but this time there 

are some new additions. Make a date 

on Saturday 18 May 2024 (10 am – 2 pm) 

in Kippen Reading Rooms where you 

can see our quilts, craft stall, gorgeous 

quilt raffle and polish off freshly made 

pancakes too. 

Entrance costs £5 (Adult) and £1 

(Children) including tea/coffee/juice and 

freshly made pancakes. Raffle tickets 

priced at £1 are now available from 

Elma Leith, Linda Wilson, Alison Bradley 

and on the day at the hall. 

Britain’s 48 poshest villages 

New research conducted by Savills for The Telegraph has revealed “Britain’s 48 poshest 

villages”, and Kippen in west Stirlingshire is among the destinations included. The small 

village, which is estimated to have a population of around 1,100 people, is situated around 

nine miles west of Stirling and 20 miles north of Glasgow. 

Surrounded by rolling hills, Kippen is perfect for those after incredible views and a wealth 

of scenic walks. 


Did you know 

New online booking system for Stirling’s Household Waste 

Recycling Centres 

An electronic booking system will be introduced at Stirling Council’s Household Waste 

Recycling Centres at Lower Polmaise and Callander to improve efficiency, customer service 

and provide better control of the sites. 

A meeting of the Environment, Transport and Net Zero committee on Thursday, February 1 

2024 approved the move, which will take effect from 1 May 2024. 

Stirling Council provides household recycling facilities for its residents at three locations 

and the introduction of an online booking system for Lower Polmaise and Callander brings 

those sites into line with the centre at Balfron, where it has been in operation since June 

2020. 

Under the terms of its licence from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the 

Council’s HWRCs are only allowed to accept household waste. Commercial operators are 

directed to the Operational Weighbridge, also at Lower Polmaise. 

The move to an online booking system, increasingly common across Scottish local 

authorities, will ensure the HWRCs are accessed only by Stirling Council residents, reducing 

indiscriminate use by commercial operators seeking to dispose of waste from trade services. 

The online booking system will also be accessible by contacting Stirling Council’s Customer 

Services team on 01786 404040. Entry to HWRCs will remain free of charge for residents. 

Convener of the Environment, Transport and Net Zero committee, Cllr Jen Preston, said: “A 

booking system for all vehicles will give greater control of the HWRC locations and allow for 

more proactive staffing, monitoring and engagement. 

“Appropriate use of the HWRCs will result in an increase in recycling rates and contribute to 

our net zero ambitions in line with our climate and nature emergency plan. It will also lead 

to a reduction in the cost of disposing of indiscriminate waste from commercial vehicles, 

maximising the operational efficiency of the sites and minimising waiting times for residents. 

“We want all residents in the Stirling area to have a positive experience when visiting our 

HWRC sites and we will correspond directly with them on fuller details around the changes 

before they are introduced in May.” 

Direct engagement with local residents will begin shortly, including details of how to book 

and a full list of FAQs. There will be no change to the current opening times of the three 

HWRC sites, but these will be reviewed at an early stage to ensure recycling services continue 

to meet the needs of local communities. 

A recording of the meeting can be viewed at: Home - Stirling Council streaming (public-i.tv). 


Did you know 

Across 

1 Rod is volunteer coffee maker (7) 

5 Respect foreign staff (7) 

10 19 a side maybe (4) 

11 Criminal hopes a Euro might be found in Sydney 

(5,5) 

12 And the rest are late back (2,2) 

13 Teases men in wrong jerseys essentially (8) 

14 Snappy kids on way to school? (9) 

16 Hotel singer makes a case for revolutionary key (5) 

17 Trigger small deposit (5) 

19 Axeman confused artist after electronic display (9) 

23 Forget somehow about naked grey amphibian (4,4) 

24 One partial to a bit of brioche francaise? (4) 

25 Lawyers help to conceal legal gold (10) 

26 Feeling dinosaur ate sandwiches (4) 

27 One completing a suspended sentence? (7) 

28 First two leave those looking for Village People? (7) 

Down 

2 Inspector parks car on top of hill (7) 

3 Perfect start to international trade (5) 

4 Couple go bust twice (7) 

6 Moderates drink before American tax authorities (6) 

7 Claim gold chair (9) 

8 Advanced statues oddly missing out on award (7) 

9 Doctor’s undergone salt treatment (13) 

15 Running for 1, 2, 7, 9, 17, 19, 21, 24, 25, 27 or 28? 

(9) 

18 Framework for each goal converted (7) 

20 Lift short American pants (7) 

21 One who makes a cutting contribution to football 

punditry? (7) 

22 Lout occupies 60% of train carriage (6) 

24 Firm contracted smart teacher (5) 


Did you know 

A walk from Kippen to where the Romans collided with 

the Iron Age: the Leckie Broch 

Many, though not all of you, will know that there is an Iron Age broch between Kippen and 

Gargunnock (though truth be told the Leckie Broch is much closer to Gargunnock). What 

is a broch? Well, when intact, they are a formidable circular stone walled fortification: 8 to 

10m across and maybe up to 10m high with a single entry point. 

Their shape has been, maybe unkindly, described by some as that of a yoghurt pot or a 

mini cooling tower. Unfortunately, the Leckie Broch is no longer intact, though some of 

the massive foundation stones and its circular shape upon the promontory between the 

confluence of two deeply incised burns are clearly visible. 

The broch is marked on the OS 1:50,000 map (NS 692940). To get there from Kippen you 

can walk via Glentirranmuir across the fields to Burntown 

and on to the straight track that takes you to Leckie Farm. 

From here take the track to the right, keeping the burn on 

your left, and walk up to the small road bridge that crosses 

the burn. (Small aside – there is a very beautiful stone bridge 

near Leckie Farm across the same burn – immediately 

upstream of which there are two fascinating ruined water 

mills with some of the mechanisms still almost in place)! 

The ancient cup and ring marked 

rock at Leckie Broch 


However back to the broch – cross the small road bridge 

and immediately on the right is a path that follows the burn 

up the hill along a wooded margin. The broch is only about 

100m up this path, but to get to it you need to channel your 

inner Indiana Jones. Go beyond the confluence, cross the 

stream and follow the “jungle” path upwards. You will meet 

rhododendrons, many of them, but with a little bit of scouting 

the broch is easy enough to find (for most). The inside of the broch is quite overgrown but 

there is a path of sorts that circumnavigates the structure. On that circumnavigation also 

look out for the amazing cup and ring marked rock at the bottom of the mound. 

So, what is known about the history of the broch? Well, there was an archeological excavation 

between 1970 to 1978 led by Euan Mackie that produced “The Leckie Broch, Stirlingshire: 

an interim report” (this can be downloaded as a PDF from the Edinburgh University Press 

website: https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/abs/10.3366/gas.1982.9.9.60). 

From that work it was concluded the broch was built soon after 79-80AD (the time that the 

Romans, with Agricola at the helm, advanced up the eastern side of Scotland and possibly 

up to the very northern limit of mainland 

Scotland). The broch was found to have a 

structural design that closely mirrored those 

from the far north of Scotland. A theory put 

forward in the report was that the architects 

of the Leckie Broch may have been brought 

down by the Romans from the far north. 

The Romans had presumably ingratiated 

themselves upon these northern people 

and invited them down to be the overlords 

of our local area, a sneaky Roman ruse i.e. 

giving them wealth, prestige and lands (and Those that went from Kippen looking for the broch.

Did you know 

importantly to the Romans land managers friendly to Rome) – or so the theory goes. 

Anyway, if true the new overlords arrived and built their defensive brochs in the style that 

they knew from their northern homelands. 

However, Rome’s interest in Scotland waxed and waned. Agricola came and went and 

when the next interest arose in the 140s AD (the time of Emperor Antoninus Pius – he 

of Antonine Wall fame) the friendly relationship seemed to have hit a bump in the road. 

Mackie’s excavation found impelling evidence that the Romans tore the broch down. 

Remains of small rounded stream boulders that had been heated to red hot temperatures 

and lobbed into the broch were recovered from inside the ruined site – a shock and awe 

tactic the Roman’s sometimes deployed to attack and burn structures. Several of these 

Leckie once-red-hot missiles with heat-cracked surfaces are on view in the Hunterian 

Museum in Glasgow (well worth a visit), alongside other surprising iron age and Roman 

artefacts discovered in the remains of the broch. 

To round the walk off and to deliberate the rights and wrongs of international invasions, 

imposed overlords and what on earth happened to the normal people nearly two thousand 

years ago (themes still sadly prevalent in the world today) it is thoroughly recommended 

to extend the walk to the Gargunnock Inn for some well earned refreshment. 

David Price, 25 th March 2024 


Did you know 


Stirling Council approves 2024/25 

budget amid unprecedented 

financial pressures 

Stirling Council has approved its budget for 2024-25 which 

addresses a shortfall of over £16m and delivers a package of 

investments that prioritises key frontline services. 

At a meeting of Council today (29 Feb), councillors agreed 

by a majority to the administration’s proposals amid an incredibly challenging financial 

landscape for local government, with external funding pressures, rising costs and inflation, 

and increasing demand for services all contributing factors. 

A total revenue budget of almost £287m will fund core services for communities. This 

includes over £146m being spent on schools and nurseries, while more than £22m will 

deliver the likes of waste and recycling, roads maintenance and improvements and land 

services. 

Other key announcements include: 

• Council Tax will be frozen at last year’s levels, through a grant of £2.923m from the 

Scottish Government (equating to a 4.9% increase in Council Tax). 

• A library modernisation fund of £100k will also be created from service concession 

monies to explore options for future sustainability of the service. 

• The real living wage of £12 per hour will be applied from 1 April 2023 and be extended 

to the council’s apprentice cohort from 1 April 2024. 

• The budget, which was set following engagement with residents through the Big 

Conversation, will also see £44.294m invested in the Council’s capital programme. 

This includes: 

• £14.901m for schools and other education settings, including the new Callander 

Primary School and the new ASN provisions at Bannockburn and McLaren High 

Schools. 

• £6.579m to maintain and improve roads and bridges. 

• £1.040m in technology improvements across council services. 

• £3.561m for City Region Deal projects. 

The report on the council’s budget stated the council’s core grant allocation from the 

Scottish Government for 2024-25 decreased (once ring-fenced grants and new funding 

which comes with spending commitments were removed) by £1.295m from last year. It 

also forecast an estimated funding gap of over £9m in 2025-26 and more than £7.8m in 

2026-27. 

The £16.3m shortfall in the year’s budget was bridged by savings (£8.257m), the use of 

one-off reserves (£4.993m) an increase of fees and charges (£155k) and the grant to freeze 

council tax (£2.923m). 

The savings proposals to plug the gap were informed by feedback from residents who 

took part in the council’s ‘Big Conversation’, which featured an online survey that 3,400

Did you know 

people took part in and 24 drop-in events across the council area attended by almost 700 

people. 

A total of 98 savings proposals were accepted. These included: increases to the garden 

waste charge and parking charges; the removal of funding for events like Open Streets 

and Stirling’s Hogmanay; a reduction in grant funding to groups such as Citizen’s Advice, 

Stirling Community Enterprise, Stirling Voluntary Enterprise and Sistema; a reduction 

in the libraries budget (but no closures), the redesign and restructure of a number of 

services; and the removal of the P5 primary school swimming programme. 

Among the 41 savings rejected were the removal of the garden waste charge concession, 

a review of commercial waste collection, a reduction of supported bus services, the 

removal of the events budget for Bloody Scotland, the Stirling Science Festival, the 

Christmas Lights switch on and Stirling’s 900th anniversary; a reduction of funding for 

the Smith Museum; stopping the CCTV service; a reduction in community centres; the 

removal of the music tuition service; and a reduction in the education psychology service. 

The full list of savings, as well as the political motions, can be downloaded here. 

Stirling Council Leader, Cllr Chris Kane said: “While I’m pleased we have been able to agree 

a budget, it has been extremely painful to deliver one with so many savings attached to it 

that cover a wide range of services. 

“However, there was acknowledgement across all political groups today that difficult 

decisions were unavoidable given the unprecedented financial pressures facing Stirling 

Council and every Scottish local authority. 

“Our choices have been informed by the feedback from residents in the Big Conversation 

with a focus on protecting the most vulnerable in our communities – my thanks again to 

everyone who participated in the Big Conversation. 

“We remain committed to meet the needs of our communities in this challenging 

environment and achieving our key priorities. We will also make significant investments in 

our key services and infrastructure that will help us improve the lives for the people across 

Stirling, empower communities, reduce inequalities and support the transformation of 

service delivery. 

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the council officers and 

everyone else involved for all of their hard work in getting us to this point where we have 

set a balanced budget after a hugely challenging and arduous process that started last 

summer. 

“The unfortunate reality is that huge pressures on local government finances will remain 

over the coming years and we need to continue taking steps to secure the council’s longterm 

financial sustainability so we can deliver the key services we all rely on.” 

More information 

The full budget papers, including the motions put forward, can be downloaded here and 

a recording of the meeting can be viewed on the Council’s webcast pag 


Crossword Answers 

Across: 1 Barista, 5 Sceptre, 10 Edge, 11 Opera house, 12 Et al, 13 Torments, 

14 Crocodile, 16 Islet, 17 Spark, 19 Guitarist, 23 Tree frog, 24 Chef, 

25 Solicitors, 26 Aura, 27 Hangman, 28 Archers. 

Down: 2 Auditor, 3 Ideal, 4 Twofold, 6 Chairs, 7 Professor, 8 Rosette, 

9 Dentalsurgeon, 15 Careering, 18 Pergola, 20 Trouser, 21 Shearer, 22 Troika, 

24 Coach. 

30 www.theweevine.org

Supporters 

The Wee Vine Supporters 

Without our supporters, there would be no Wee Vine. They offer support in a variety of 

ways. All essential. 

Firstly, our financial supporters. Printing and other costs are totally met through the 

support of a number of local organisations. These have all been affected to a greater or 

lesser extent by the current Covid crisis, but continue to provide support, which is greatly 

appreciated. Currently, these are (in alphabetical order): 

Acorn Cottage (03454986900} 

Arnbeg Farm Stay (01786 871121) 

Arnprior Swimming Pool (870481) 

Blue Juice Media (01786 870148) 

Brian Reynolds Carpentry (870531) 

Cameron Skinner, Skinner of Kippen (870203) 

Central Auto Repairs (Glengyle) (870254) 

Classics@Kippen 

David Kirkwood, Fishmonger 

John Coubrough & Son, Joiners &Funeral Directors (870737) 

Kippen Singing Studio 

McNicolls Country Store (870237) 

Mimi’s Brunch House (01786 451144) 

Renantis 

Sheree Hairdressing Salon (07706 612660) 

Stephen Paul Associates (870906) 

The Cross Keys (870293) 

The Inn at Kippen (870500) 

The Woodhouse (870156) 

For those not familiar with the name “Renantis” this is the parent company of the 

community facility known as “The Windfarm,” to whom our grateful thanks are due for the 

significant support provided. 

Two welcome additions to our family of supporters are “Sheree Hairdressing Salon”, who 

provides welcome hairdressing facilities, and “Mimi’s Bruch House” in Stirling Arcade, 

with Kippen connections both front of house and in the kitchen. Each of our financial 

supporters is entitled to use the magazine to publicise forthcoming events, or significant 

awards obtained. Anyone who would like to offer support in this way, can do so by 

contacting us at enquiries@theweevine.org. 

Secondly, many thanks to those who have supported this issue by contributing articles. 

The Wee Vine is for Kippen, about Kippen and by Kippen. We would like to know about 

events as they happen, and also those which are planned. Also, organisations, clubs and 

their programmes and activities. Plus, comments, queries, photos, and anything else that 

takes your fancy. 

“Letters to the editor” on paper or electronically are welcome from all. 

And finally, those who support by offering help in many ways, such as the delivery of the 

magazine round the village. 



McNicoll’s Country Store 

Licensed Grocer - Open 7 days 

• Large Freezer Section 

• 5 Metre Dairy Cabinet 

• Newsagent 

• Fresh Fruit & Vegetables 

• Fresh Bakery Rolls Daily 

• National Lottery Outlet 

• Post Office Services 

• Payments can be made by 

credit/debit cards 

• Contactless Payments Available 

Main Street, Kippen. 

Tel: 01786 870 237

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