Old Alyth, by John Alexander

The author describes Alyth as ‘a small market town amongst grand scenery’. This scenery comprises the valley of Strathmore to the south and the Grampian Mountains to the north. The town’s history is undramatic and mainly consisted of providing a market for the surrounding agricultural area. Although linen, jute and wool mills sprang up in the 19th century, the geography and poor transport links sealed their gate. Like them now, the market has also gone, and Alyth has adapted to take advantage of its scenic splendour and grow its tourism. While alyth’s history is comfortably uneventful, the book is full of interesting pictures accompanied by lengthy captions and telling the story of the town’s growth and development.