The burgh of Perth was a major centre for manufacturing leather goods. In the 1820s it was noted that Perth had ‘long been eminent’ in the making of ‘boots, shoes, and gloves’ (Wood 1828, 307–8). Many of these accessories were for use in other parts of the British Isles, with a significant trade in leather goods between Perth and London. In the 1790s tanners in Perth were apparently processing about 4,000 to 5,000 hides and about 6,000 calf skins each year (Scott 1796, 517).
The production of leather goods was an important regional industry. However, there has been surprisingly little archaeological research into sites associated with post-medieval leatherworking. Excavations in the Curfew Row area of Perth in the early 2000s revealed five tanning pits, lined with clay and wood, and probably used during the 17th or 18th centuries (Cox et al 2007, 137–8). Overall, though, relatively few sites associated with leatherworking are listed in the region’s Historic Environment Record. It includes only six possibly post-medieval tanneries: two in Crieff on Milnab Street and Leadenflower Road (MPK6165 and MPK18846), two in Auchterarder (MPK15546 and MPK15547), one in Coupar Angus (MPK9999) and the Curfew Row site in Perth (MPK15255). Yet, there are references to tanning at additional sites in Perth and beyond in the Statistical Accounts, trade directories and other written sources. An interdisciplinary project, including field survey and desk-based study, of sites associated with the post-medieval leather industry should be a priority.