Bowling

Meigle Bowling Club was established in 1897 on land donated by Sir John Kinloch of Kinloch House, who was the MP for East Perthshire and at that time owned much of the village.  

A report of the opening ceremony in the Dundee Advertiser in August that year tells of the origins of the club: there was growing demand in the district for summer evening recreation and, with no spare land available for golf, it was decided that bowling was the most appropriate pastime. Sir John was approached and, along with the land, he donated turf and sand which was carted to the site by local farmers, while the ladies of the village held a grand bazaar to raise funds for other costs which could not be donated. Sir John officially opened the Bowling Green on Friday 28th August 1897, and Lady Kinloch sent up the first bowl.  

The ladies’ fundraising must have been very successful as the Pavilion was built less than a year later, being completed in May 1898. The interior was fitted out with seats and trays for holding bowls, and it remains largely unchanged after over a century of use - a rare example of a decorative timber bowling pavilion of the period.   

Sadly, the club closed in 2014 due to dwindling membership numbers (the membership list for that year shows only 14 members). In 2023 ownership of the site was transferred to Meigle and Ardler Community Development Trust, to be maintained for the use of the community.  

However, by this time the exterior of the B-Listed Pavilion was in a poor state of repair and was rapidly deteriorating. Therefore, with the generous support of the Architectural Heritage Fund, Fife Environment Trust, The Levenseat Trust and The Pilgrim Trust, the building was restored to its former glory in 2026. The photo below of a group of members in front of the pavilion is believed to have been taken at the opening of the building in 1898, and it was referred to during the restoration to ensure historical accuracy. 

Find more information about the Pavilion in the Historic Scotland Listed Building Register.