Newport-on-Tay: its early development and links with Dundee
Guest Speaker Mairi Shiels
For a small village on the south shore of the River Tay, Newport does have rather a lot of history! This talk will set the scene by looking at the small settlement known as Seamills which was the forerunner of the village we know today. It then examines the massive changes which took place during the 19th century, with much development resulting first of all from the village’s ferry link to Dundee, and later in the 19th century, from of course the rail link.
The St Andrews Preservation Trust is delighted to welcome you to our second Autumn Talk, to hear Mairi Shiels speak on “Newport-on-Tay: its early development and links with Dundee”. We had the privilege of hearing Mairi Shiels last year on the Tay Bridge Disaster, and I are very pleased that she is returning to share her expertise on a new topic. We welcome speakers from across St Andrews, Dundee and Fife to share their work or pieces of research. In four years we have grown from smaller audiences of members to audience of 50+ members of the Trust and the local community.
About the speaker:
Mairi is a retired History teacher who has lived in Newport for 40 year. She has written 4 books on the area and co-produced a series of local history exhibitions. She established the Newport History Group which she has chaired for seven years. Now with well over 400 members, and the group continues to mount exhibitions, lead guided historical walks and boat trips, produce books, and created a tapestry of places of local historical importance. They set up Newport History website and online archive, and are nearing completion of a physical archive. They liaise with the local primary schools, fostering an interest in local heritage among the pupils.
- General admission £5, Trust Members £3.
- A 15p booking fee will be applied at checkout.
- There will be options to add a minimum £1 voluntary donation and gift aid the full price of your ticket plus your donation – this benefits the Trust by reclaiming 25% of the total. This support is gratefully received.
- Probus Members cannow book online for free using the Probus Club fund.
Tuesday 16h September 2025, 2.30pm at the St Andrews Bowling Club.
The talk will last approximately 50mins.
There will be a short Q&A and a reception with tea, coffee and shortbreads will follow.
Memberships available at https://tinyurl.com/STAPTMembership