The idea of the MAC Trail (Meigle & Ardler Community Trail) was seeded during the winter lockdown of 2020/2021.

In collaboration with Health in Mind Scotland and The National Rural Mental Health Forum, Meigle & Ardler was one of three Scottish rural communities which received funding and support to take forward a Winter Lockdown project. Each unique project focused on ways to improve and support the mental health and wellbeing of communities during the pandemic.

 

The focus of our project was to make a film about Meigle and Ardler, inspired by the film ‘Our Meigle Community’ , shot in 1971 by local resident, Ms Muriel Soutar. Click on the link to see how much Meigle has changed over the years!

 

The ethos of the new film was to unify Meigle and Ardler, explore what it meant to residents to be part of a community in the Covid-19 pandemic, collect stories about how the communities have changed over the years, and demonstrate ways our community can pull together and ensure the resilience, welfare and wellbeing of our residents.

We also had the opportunity to work with community artist, Pam van De Burg, in her film, 'You're On Mute'. You will see a few familiar faces if you click the link!

 

Like most creative projects, ours evolved as it progressed and, as covid receded, we wanted to focus on real rather than digital connections. Our vision was to encourage residents to reconnect with each other, with nature and the surrounding landscape, as well as attract visitors to the area. To this end, the trust was very lucky to secure funding from Perth and Kinross Community Investment Fund and Rural Perth and Kinross LEADER to develop our pathways and green spaces.

 

We are now developing the pathway which connects the villages, celebrating the rich history, heritage and folklore in which they are steeped. We have commissioned poets and identified ways to creatively install their work throughout the trail. The first installation was Meigle Faerie Tree in Belmont Woods, launched during our first Beltane celebration in 2023. It was officially opened by the children from Meigle Primary School, with whom we have enjoyed several collaborations.

 

This work has seen several celebratory events which have brought our communities together, with many more to follow as we continue to develop the trail, gathering footage, images and stories as we go. 

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