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A Village History - Killin
Set in the heart of Breadalbane - the Uplands of Alban - and in the heart of Perthshire, our Village and District are considered by many to be the most beautiful in Scotland.
Although the Parish of Killin extends for over twenty miles from the watershed at the County March with Argyll in the West to Loch Tay in the east, and includes the villages of Tyndrum and Crianlarich, Killin itself is near the eastern end of the Parish and about a mile from the head of Loch Tay.
Two rivers, the peaceful Lochay and the turbulent Dochart emerge from their respective Glens and meet to mingle their waters for a few hundred yards before emptying into Loch Tay. The village stretches across the peninsula so formed, being somewhat over a mile in length.
It was almost inevitable that a village should spring up here, from the time when mankind drew together into communities, as here is the natural meeting place of many routes. From the south up Glenogle and across Larig-Ilidh; from the west down Glendochart and Glenlochay; and from the east along both sides of Loch Tay, while numerous hill-passes give access to the surrounding Glens.
To the north it is sheltered by the distinctive Tarmachan Ridge and eastward looms the mighty mass of Ben Lawers, highest of all Perthshire's Bens (3984 feet), in the other direction the way to the West is guarded by the twin peaks of Ben More and Stobinian.
As the visitor approaches from the West he finds that the road winds beside the River Dochart which roars around its island and over its rocks. The Bridge which crosses the river is a very picturesque one consisting of five unequal arches and commanding one of the best known views in the country, which every year attracts thousands of tourists, and particularly photographers, from all parts of the world.
The Main Street runs roughly East and West, and at one time most of the houses were built on either side of it, but in recent years the newer houses have spread out to the North and South. For a place of its size Killin is fortunate in possessing many well equipped shops and several comfortable hotels. The Main Street, being straight and fairly wide, does not present such a traffic problem as in many Highland villages.
Round the old Square or "Stance", where in earlier days the Markets were held beside the gently flowing river Lochay, stand two Churches - the Parish Church and the Episcopal Church, a very fine Village Hall and the principal Hotel. Nearby the present Livestock Mart now caters for the considerable sale of Cattle and Sheep from the surrounding districts. The road then winds pleasantly along beside the river Lochay crossing it by an old single-arch bridge to continue along Loch Tayside.
The Origin of the Name
There are conflicting opinions as to the origin of the name Killin. The old local tradition attributes it to the belief that Fingal, the father of Ossian, lies buried in a field behind the village, hence the name Cill Fhinn - chapel or place of Fingal. Another opinion is that the name means Cill - fhionn - white or fair Church; and yet another that it is Cill-linne, or Church by the Pool.
Early Inhabitants
Before there was a Church, or any history, another race inhabited our Glens - a race whose origins have been lost, and whose very existence is only proved by the numerous tools, weapons and ornaments of stone and bronze that have been dug up at various times. There are also examples of mysterious cup-markings on rocks and stones. Near Kinnell, the ancient seat of the Macnabs, there is a particularly well preserved Stone Circle. Who were they, these "silent, vanished races" whose only memorial is carven on the imperishable rocks? What was their way of life, and who or what their gods?
The Coming of Christianity
The Coming of Christianity to Breadalbane, towards the end of the 8th Century, is attributed to St. Fillan, who, like St. Columba came from Ireland. The late Dr. Gillies in his book "In Famed Breadalbane" says that "little is known of St. Fillan's ministry in Breadalbane, but he has left behind a gracious, imperishable tradition".
It appears that, as well as his religion, he brought civilizing influences to try to improve the lot of our wild forbears; the picturesque Mill which stands on the north bank of the river Dochart above the Bridge bears his name, and stands on the site of a meal mill he founded. In an upper room of this Mill are preserved the "Healing Stones of St. Fillan", these are eight in number and two at least appear to have been pivot stones on which the grinding machinery of the mill revolved. The other six are water-worn, and tradition has endowed each of them with the power of healing some part of the body. Down to the present day the stones are "bedded down" afresh each Christmas Eve by the proprietor of the mill on reeds and straw "not won by the hand of man", but gathered from the river-bank.
St. Fillan's Feast Day, known locally as "Latha Feile Faolain" falls on the 3rd Tuesday of January, and on that day for a thousand years the machinery of the Mill was stilled in honour of the Saint. Until about 25 years ago St. Fillan's Day was observed by the local farmers as the day on which all arrangements were made for the year's functions, such as the ploughing-match, Cattle Show etc., and especially it was the day on which all debts were paid.
In the Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh are preserved other relics of St. Fillan, namely his Crozier and his Bell. There relics were for many years jealously guarded by hereditary Keepers, whose family name was Dewar, and the Dewar's Croft can still be pointed out, which for hundreds of years descended from father to son by virtue of their office. The last member of the family to hold the Crozier emigrated to Canada taking the relic with him, but after a brief sojourn there it was recovered and placed in its present home.
The Campbells of Glenorchy
The history of Breadalbane and of Killin is of necessity inextricably interwoven with that of the Campbells of Glenorchy who became Barons of Finlarig, and later, in the 17th century, Earls of Breadalbane. They entered Breadalbane as landowners in the 15th century and established themselves at Finlarig on the north bank of the river Lochay near the head of Loch Tay. Later they "birsed yont" as one of their Chiefs expressed it, and built Taymouth Castle at the eastern end of Loch Tay and settled there, in the year 1580.
A favourite hunting ground of the Scottish Kings, the forest of Mamlorn lay in the upper reaches of Glen Lyon and Glen Lochay, and the Glenorchy Campbells became Forest Wardens, so winning Royal favour and gradually by fair means, by trickery or by out-and-out violence they amassed an Estate which finally stretched across Scotland for a hundred miles, from the Atlantic in the west to Aberfeldy in the east.
Finlarig was a strongly fortified Castle, and from there successive Chiefs exercised the "power of pit and gallows"! The Campbells were always namely as being "great justicians", but in the majority of cases it proved to be rough justice indeed! Only a small part of the wall of Finlarig Castle now remains standing, but the beheading stone, with its hollow for the head, and groove to drain away the blood can still be seen. Only the gentry had the privilege of being beheaded, the "commonality" were hanged on a nearby tree.
The Burial place of the Breadalbane family is also at Finlarig, but the Mausoleum is in a ruinous state. In it rest the remains of all the Chiefs with the exception of the founder of Finlarig who fell with "the Flowers of the Forest" at Flodden.
After the middle of the 18th century, when the Breadalbanes had established themselves, and were no longer obsessed with the acquisition of land and power, they proved in the majority of cases to be wise and benevolent landlords who did much to improve the conditions of their dependents. On the death of Gavin, 3rd Marquis in 1922, death duties and taxation necessitated the sale of a large part of the Estate, and since then it has gradually dwindled until now the once powerful family are known no more in their own country.
The Clan Macnab
As long ago as the 12th century there are records of grants of land to the Macnabs - Clann - an - Abba - the sons of the Abbot, descended from the lay Abbot of Glendochart. Prior to the 17th century their stronghold was at Ellanryne on the east bank of the river Lochay, but this was destroyed by General Monk's orders in 1654, and thereafter they established themselves at Kinnell House on the south bank of the river Dochart.
They were a hardy, warlike Clan, of whose exploits many tales are told, perhaps the best known being that of the vengeance wrought on the clan MacNeish, who lived on an island in Loch Earn, by "Smooth John" Macnab and his eleven brothers. Some Macnab retainers had been sent by the Chief to Crieff to fetch home some delicacies for the Christmas celebrations and on the way home they were waylaid and robbed by the MacNeishes, who proceeded at once to devour the spoil. When the old Chief of the Macnabs was told of it he looked round at his twelve sons and intoned "the night was the night if the lads were the lads". The lads were! Headed by the eldest, Smooth John, they filed out and down to Loch Tay where their boat lay; lifting it upon their shoulders they carried it across the hills to Lochearnside, a distance of 8 or 9 miles as the crow flies, but a good deal further over the rough hill tracks, launched it on Lochearn and rowed out to the island stronghold of the MacNeishes. They broke down the doors, slew all the MacNeises with the exception of one small boy, who contrived to hide himself. They then returned the same way, carrying in triumph the gory head of the slain Chieftain. And since that day the crest of the clan Macnab consists of a bearded head surmounted by a boat and the motto "Dreadnought".
Virtually the last of the old Chiefs was Francis, the subject of Raeburn's wellknown portrait "The Macnab", he was a riotously extravagant man, living in the old feudal manner ignoring alike mountainous debts and clamouring creditors. When at last he died in 1824 at a ripe old age, his successor, a nephew, was forced to emigrate to Canada where many of his clansmen followed him. The estate was claimed by the then Lord Breadalbane, the principal creditor.
The recent history of the clan, however, is happier than that of the Breadalbanes, as their former lands were bought back in 1949 by the present Chief Archibald Corrie Macnab of Macnab C.I.E., so Kinnell has once more a Macnab laird.
The Clan Gregor
The clan which is reckoned to be the oldest in Scotland, Clan Alpine, had a close connection with the district, but they early fell foul of the Campbells, and their courage was no match for the Campbell guile, with the result that one by one their lands fell into the hand of the spoiler, till finally their very name was proscribed and they became in very sooth "Children of the Mist".
Seven miles up Glendochart there stands near the road the gable-end of a house which was once the home of Rob Roy and from which for a time he carried on his trade of droving. Also, inspite of old enmities, he acted for a time as bailiff on the Argyllshire estates of the first Lord Breadalbane. The appointment however did not last long, and Rob took to less peaceable occupations, but he must have been a familiar figure in his day to the folks of Killin and its neighbourhood.
Clan Feuds and Cattle Lifting
When we look at our Village and the country around from the viewpoint of this our Welfare State, it is hard to imagine what life must have been like in those far-off days; but of one thing we may be sure - our forbears must have been well immured to hardship and insecurity - but this bred in them that spirit of courage, loyalty and love of freedom which has always characterised the hill-folk of every country the world over.
Breadalbane has always been of necessity more of a pastoral than an agricultural region, and the ruggedness of much of the country meant that such crops as were grown in the days before the coming of the iron plough were meager and hardly won. Much of the low ground was marshy and badly drained so that it was mostly on the higher ground that the cultivated patches were situated. Barley and oats were the chief crops and harvests were often late and scanty. Horses were bred in considerable numbers, but the chief product was black cattle, and as these were considered fair game to the clan with the courage and initiative to seize and drive them off, many are the tales of bloody battles fought to recover their stock and exact vengeance.
On one occasion, the Campbells were celebrating a wedding at Finlarig when word was received that the Macdonalds of Keppoch and Glencoe had lifted a "creach" of cattle from Loch Tayside and were returning home over the shoulder of Stron-a-clachain (the hill behind Killin) driving their booty before them. Fired with the spirit of the feast, the Campbells rushed pell-mell up the hill to do battle, but they were in no state to fight and consequently suffered a severe defeat with heavy casualties. Next day, however, having secured reinforcements brought overnight from Taymouth, they set off again in pursuit of the marauders and overtook them in Glenlochay; in the ensuing battle the young Chief of Keppoch was slain along with many of his clansmen. One of the finest laments in the Gaelic language, which is surely the language of sorrow, was composed for him by Iain Lom, the bard of Keppoch. This was but one incident in the long feud between Clan Donald and Clan Campbell which culminated in the horror of Glencoe.
Life must have been especially hard for the women and children in the 17th and 18th centuries and only the hardiest survived. Their dwellings being very primitive, the winter must have been grim. The woman's lot was to bear and rear sons to serve the Chief in peace and war. To her also fell most of the toil around the homestead, whilst her menfolk engaged in more warlike pursuits. Summer brought some alleviation as then women and children would move to the shielings on the high ground. Each little community had its own shieling-ground allotted to it, and in early summer the migration took place. Headed by a piper the procession would start off, the sheep and cattle driven in front, followed by pack-ponies loaded with gear; the cries of the animals, barking of dogs and excited voices of the children almost drowning the skirl of the pipes! The utensils for the making of the winter's supply of butter and cheese went with them, together with their spinning wheel and "rocks" or distaffs and a supply of wool and raw flax to ensure that there should be no idle moments.
They had roughly built shelters thatches with turf, and there they herded the stock as they grazed on the sweet grasses of the mountain corries. The ewes were milked as well as the cows, to make ewe-milk cheese which was considered a great delicacy. It was a happy carefree life in the shielings, and many songs have come down to us which were composed as they herded the cattle - songs that for countless years have been sung beside the peatfires when the winter storms roared down the glens.
The various wars and risings which rent Scotland during the 17th and 18th centuries brought their share of trouble to Breadalbane. In 1645, the time of the Civil War, Montrose and the wild host that followed him swept through the country with fire and sword, leaving devastation behind them. Later in 1654 General Monk, fulfilling his mission of quelling the rebellion in the Highlands, placed garrisons in Finlarig and Taymouth.
In 1715 the men of Breadalbane "came out" on the side of the Stuarts and played a gallant part at the Battle of Sherriffmuir: but at the time of the '45 any tendency to rally again to the Stuart cause was sternly suppressed by Lord Glenorchy, son of the aged 2nd Earl, and as a consequence Breadalbane escaped the cruel reprisals imposed on those parts of the Highlands where the clansmen had supported Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The Second Earl did much to try to improve the lot of his tenants. He brought workers in flax and wool from England and even from the Continent to teach their crafts to the people. About a mile and a half from the village on the North bank of the River Dochart can be seen a little huddle of ruined houses known as "Ard-nan-Gall" or "Hill of the Strangers" so called because here lived a community of Flemish weavers brought to Scotland by the 2nd Earl.
This good work was continued by the 3rd Earl, and spinning and weaving became quite a thriving industry in the district. Thomas Pennant, the traveler and historian, writing about Breadalbane in 1769 tells that "the country manufactures a great deal of thread. They spin with "rocks" which they do as they watch their cattle on the hills, and £1,600 worth of yarn was sold out of Breadalbane at Fairs* during the year, the yarn is bought by buyers from towns of the South for manufacture into cloth".
In 1770, 954 stones of Flax were dressed in the lint-mill at Killin. Dr. Gillies, in his book "In Famed Breadalbane", tells us that these "scutching mills" were first built in the Highlands by Ewen Cameron, a native of Breadalbane, who was the first to teach the use of the spinning-wheel and jack-reel. The woolen yarn required for home use was woven into cloth by local weavers of whom there were many in the district. (1)
*Fairs held in Killin (other than St. Fillan's Day were:-
5th May - St. George's Fair (old calendar).
12th May - The Little Fair.
The Friday before 1st Wednesday in November known as the "Little Hallowmas Fair".
Tuesday before 11th November - Killin Martinmas Fair.
The Statistical Account for 1793 states that in the Parish of Killin there were:- 63 Weavers, 38 Tailors, 36 Wrights, 26 Shoemakers, 20 Flax Dressers, 10 Smiths, 9 Masons, 8 Coopers, 4 Hosiers and 1 Dyer.
It must be remembered that the "Parish of Killin" includes Tyndrum, Crianlarich and several other smaller settlements.
The more settled state of the country in the latter half of the 18th century led to a large increase in population, and the antiquated system of agriculture meant that the land carried a heavier burden than it could well sustain, both of men and animals.
The 3rd and 4th Earls did much to relieve pressures on the over-burdened land. They built roads and bridges to open up the country and facilitate transport. Some of the sons of farmers were sent to England to learn new methods of farming. Gradually the old in-field and out-field system was done away with. Compact farms were laid out, rotation of crops established, with enclosed fields for the growing of turnips and potatoes, so that improved winter keep resulted in a vast improvement in the quality of the stock. Previously in bad winters the people had sometimes to resort to bleeding the cattle to eke out their meager supply of meal to feed themselves and their children. The introduction of the potato made a vast difference to both man and beast; Dr. Gillies remarks that by the end of the 18th century "the people were in easy and affluent circumstances" - but we imagine that "affluent" is a comparative term, judged from the standards of today!
Actually the people possessed little in the way of worldly wealth and lived largely on a system of exchange and barter. The rents, however, had to be paid in cash and to make a little extra they sometimes resorted to smuggling - the distilling of illicit whisky - a practice which continued in isolated instances till the end of the last century, and there are many stories told of the stratagems employed to foil to hated "Gaugers".
Their farms supplied all they required in the way of food - milk, butter, cheese and meat, mostly salted. Porridge and oat and barley bannocks were made from grain grown at home and ground in the local Mill. Such luxuries as tea, sugar and baker's bread were unknown. Blankets and clothes were made from wool spun and dyed at home. One of our older members can recollect as a child gathering "crotal" the grey crisp lichen which grows on rocks and stones for dyeing. The wool was the boiled along with the crotal in a huge pot over a fire in the open air. This produced a ruddy brown colour, and the cloth always had a distinctive fragrance. Heather roots and oak and birch bark were also used for dyeing.
Household linen was made from home-grown flax; when engaging a maid it was part of the agreement that she should be prepared to spin 12 hanks of flax per day. This was dressed at the local Mill and spun at home.
Many samples of home-spun linen sheets etc., can still be displayed, the results of the industry of a many-times-great grandmother.
Candles were made from tallow rendered down when a beast was killed, and for fuel they burned peat. Like the shielings, each community had its own peat-banks allotted to it. The peats were cut with a special kind of spade in the early summer, between lambing and hay-making, then left to dry and brought home later to be built into the peat-stack which stood at the gable-end of every house. The peat fire was laid on a raised hearthstone with an overhanging chimney piece, and was never allowed to go out, being "smoored" or covered with ashes at night. It was considered bad luck if the fire went out, and if by evil chance that should happen it must be relit from a live peat brought from another fire even though it might have to be carried for miles!
The fireside was in a very real sense the heart of the household, and in the evenings the family would gather round the hearth; the mother at her wheel and the girls with their knitting, while the men might be carving walking sticks or other articles from horn, weaving creels or baskets from willow wands or busking flies for fishing. When neighbours dropped in for a ceilidh the old songs would be sung and the old tales told, news exchanged and perhaps a months-old newspaper read aloud and it contents discussed.
It may have been a hard life and a simple one, but it could maybe teach us much in the way of contentment and peace of mind which are hard to achieve in what we are pleased to call a more enlightened age.
The death of the 4th Earl and 1st Marquis of Breadalbane heralded a time of great hardship and sorrow for many of his humble tenants. His son, the 2nd Marquis, took little to do with the management of the Estate, being occupied with schemes for developing the mineral resources he was sure existed in the district; he left the Estate to the care of his Factor, a Mr. James Wyllie, a name long remembered with dread in Breadalbane. He cleared the tenants from several parts of the Estate to make room for the formation of large sheep farms, often using means of great cruelty and injustice, in order to make more profit for the Landlord. In this, it is true, the district shared the fate of many another part of the Highlands, and today the ruins of the homes from which the people were driven can still be seen scattered around the countryside mute witness to a shameful page in our Village's history.
Many emigrated overseas - an irreparable loss to the country they left behind - but providing a splendid foundation for the building up of new lands in which they made their homes.
The change to sheep farming brought an infusion of new blood into the district, as in many cases new farmers from the South came to take up tenancy of the newly-created farms, and local men had to learn the art of shepherding. Before the introduction of antiseptics and sheep dips, the sheep had to be smeared with a mixture of melted tar and butter to prevent parasites. Gangs of men, mostly from the North and from Skye, used to travel the Highlands and down into the Lowlands to take part in this work, and the smearing-sheds were often famous places for the exchange of song and story. It was hard, dirty and unpleasant work as the stuff had to be rubbed into the wool, and often resulted in painful and mis-shapen hands.
Although the 2nd Marquis spent much money and a great deal of time and effort in trying to exploit the minerals on his estates, all his schemes had to be abandoned. Lead had been mined at Tyndrum before his time, but the mines were closed down after his death. Copper was mined for a time on the South side of Loch Tay, chrome at Corrycharmaig in Glen Lochay and there are old iron-workings at Tullich also in Glenlochay, but the remoteness of the district made all these projects uneconomic.
There was a very famous Smithy in Killin in the 17th century, where Andrea Ferrara broadswords were made. It stood beside a stream still known as Allt-na-ceardaich or the Smithy Burn. These smithies were established where a supply of birch wood was available, as birch was considered the best fuel for smelting; when the supply of birch was exhausted the smithy was moved to the next suitable site.
About 40 years ago an old man named Callum McLaren died. He was the last survivor of a family who in former days were bow makers to the Clan Macnab. He used to make bows and arrows for the boys of the village which proved such lethal weapons that they were invariably confiscated by parents, schoolmasters, or anyone in authority!! A pool in the River Dochart to the West of the War Memorial is known as "Linne-an-targaid" or the Target Pool, from the fact that near it was the Range where the Macnab warriors used to practice archery.
Another family who held a hereditary office from the Clan Macnab was one named McAlpine. They were the harpers or minstrels to the Clan and their musical skill descended to later generations, who were well known fiddlers reckoned to be second only to Neil Gow himself, and it was a member of this family who composed the famous tune of the Reel of Tulloch.
A family named McGibbon were for generations silversmiths in the Village (the last descendant was killed in the first World War), and samples of their craft are still treasured in local families. It was the custom for a young man to present his sweetheart with a silver brooch as a betrothal gift, and silver spoons and sometimes coins were given to the craftsman for this purpose.
On Craigchailleach, one of the peaks of the Tarmachan Range, many fine examples of the Cairngorm stone have been found, which were used in making jewellery, as were some beautifully coloured pebbles found in the bed of one or two hill-burns in Glenlochay.
The River Dochart was at one time famous for its pearls which were of fine quality and much sought after, but no pearl fishing has been done for many years.
The origin of the name of our Village tells that there has been a church there since the dawn of history. A rounded green knoll behind the village, which is now surmounted by a single beautiful larch tree, and known as "Cnoc-nan-aingeal" or Knoll of the Angels, is believed to be the site of the first Celtic Church in the district, but at a later time successive churches occupied a site in the old churchyard not far from the present Parish Church.
This was built in 1744 but has been greatly improved and the interior renovated throughout the years. It is a plain, unpretentious, whitewashed building with a rather unusual and pleasing interior in the form of an eight-sided apse. A beautiful stained-glass window was inserted after the last War, which incorporates in its design a replica of the memorial of the former War.
The ancient stone baptismal font is of great interest. It is seven sided and was recovered from the ruins of the old Church, and is believed to be the only one of its kind in Scotland. The Bell is also believed to be one of the oldest in use in the country, it was cast in 1632 and was presented by one of the Lairds of Finlarig.
The present church was built during the Ministry of the Reverend James Stuart, who ministered to the Parish for fifty-two years and during his ministry he made the first translation of the Bible into Gaelic, a service which contributed largely to a revival of religion in the Highlands, and also fostered an interest in the Gaelic language and literature. He was succeeded by his son, the Reverend Patrick Stuart, who was responsible for the publishing of his father's work. An obelisk which stands in front of the church commemorates Mr. Stuart's service to Gaeldom.
In the Disruption of 1843, which split the Church of Scotland, a large section of the congregation broke away, but the Free Church in Breadalbane fared better than in the majority of places in Scotland as the 2nd Marquis, being in sympathy with the dissenting party throughout his estates, granted them land to build new churches as well as material assistance. The Free Church, later the United Free, stood for over 100 years in the centre of the village, but after the Churches re-united in 1929 it became obsolete and reverted to the Breadalbane Estate. A few years ago it was demolished to make room for the building of the new School.
The Church played a major part in the life of the people in the late 18th and the 19th centuries, and the Minister was looked up to as a sort of minor deity, while fear of "the Session" and its powers acted as a strong deterrent to potential evil doers. The faith of the people was simple and sincere.
They would travel long distances on foot in all weathers to attend Communion Services. It must have been a very moving experience to take part in one of these Services, which in summer were held in the open air, with a tent to shelter the Preacher or preachers from the sun and rain, while the people in their hundreds sat around on the grass. They were conducted mostly in Gaelic with the precentor "giving out the line" of the old, well-loved psalm tunes.
The first Schools in Breadalbane were Church Schools, the 1st Schoolmaster in Killin, of whom there is a record was a Mungo Malcolm who was appointed by the Presbytery of Dunkeld in 1727. It is not known where his school was situated, but it is thought to have been in the "ben end" of a cottage on the Main Street, and his school books would consist mainly of the Bible and the Shorter Catechism.
A Parish School and Schoolhouse were erected in 1797 on a site to the South of the village, which has now been converted into a dwelling house. Towards the latter half of last century a new school was built behind the United Free Church. Smaller country schools were gradually built in the outlying districts through the good offices of the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge. At first the teachers in these schools can be traced the beginning of a decline of the Gaelic in Breadalbane, as most of the "dominies" were non-Gaelic speaking the pupils were forbidden, on pain of dire punishment, to utter a word of their native tongue within the bounds of the playground.
Our present School, which stands on the site of the old United Free Church, is a modern Junior Secondary School opened in 1959, which provides every comfort and facility to make learning easy and attractive. As the population of the outlying areas dwindled the country schools were gradually closed down, and now the children are conveyed to Killin by bus, while the older children receive their higher education at the McLaren High School in Callander, 20 miles away, where since the closure of the Railway in 1965, they reside in Hostels during the week.
The opening of the Railway, a branch of the Callander and Oban Line, in 1888 made a great change in the way of life in the village and brought a new industry - what we now call "tourism" - but which was then called "summer visitors". Gradually many of the little white cottages came down to make way for larger villa-type houses, substantially built of local stone and suitable for letting in the summer. Others let rooms with attendance, but in recent years these practices have been superseded by "Bed & Breakfast".
At one time Killin was a favourite haunt of artists, who flocked from near and far to commit our lovely scenery to canvas, and the results of their labours adorn the walls of many a home in faraway spots of the globe.
The closure of the branch Line of the Railway in October 1965 has been a severe blow to the people of Killin. Although a bus service has now taken its place, and the schoolchildren are brought from neighbouring areas to school in Killin by bus, those attending the McLaren High School in Callander for their Higher Education Courses are obliged to stay in the Hostel all week, where before they were able to travel home each night, even in the depths of winter the snow only once in many years prevented the trains from getting through, when often Glenoglehead was impassable by road. The local shopkeepers also miss the large excursion parties that came in by train several days a week during the "season". With the growth of our "affluent society" and more and more people owning their own private cars, the railway proved uneconomic.
Another attraction has always been the fishing on Loch Tay, which open annually on 15 January and brings many devotees from distant parts. Tay salmon are famed all over Britain to the sportsman and gourmet alike. Two Killin men have made their names well-known to anglers everywhere - the late Peter Ross, a local barber who gave his name to the fishing fly which has lured many an unwary fish to its doom; and the late Henry Horwood, postmaster, watchmaker and fishing-tackle expert, who first experimented and later patented the 3-ply wire trace, known as the Killin Trace used wherever the "King of Fish" is sought after.
The hills which surround us on all sides provide many attractions to the Tourist. The Tarmachan and Lawers Ranges are famous for their alpine plants. On Ben Lawers, which is now the property of the National Trust for Scotland, many specimens of alpines are found which are not known anywhere else in Britain, and consequently our hills are happy hunting grounds for botanists as well as for those who love "the wilderness and the solitary place" for their own sake.
Skiers also find some good sport in winter on the slopes of Ben Glas where a car park and ski hut offer facilities, though as yet there is no ski tow.
A big change came into our Village life some dozen or more years ago, namely the beginning of what became known locally as "The Scheme". If there is one aspect of life in our corner of Breadalbane that we deeply deplore, it is the fact that we seem to get more than what we consider to be our fair share of the "gentle rain from Heaven"! The hills which provide so much beauty bring down the clouds and the rain and this was the factor which induced the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board to select our district for their Breadalbane Scheme, in which the mountain streams of Glenlyon, Glenlochay and Glendochart are captured and harnessed to provide electric power for homes, farms and factories near and far.
While "The Scheme" was in progress there was work in plenty for all, and many folks from many lands came and sojourned amongst us, bringing in a breath of distant places to our quiet corner, and then moved on, having formed lasting friendships and leaving with us many happy memories. Now we have the permanent Staff with us, sharing our village life, and employment has been found for a number of local people who would otherwise have had to seek it elsewhere. It is a source of pleasure to us that the blessings with which nature has endowed us can bring help in time of need to our friends in the homes, factories and hospitals in the South through the National Grid.
The Dams built by the Hydro Board to control the water power have formed new and enlarged Lochans in the hills which make good fishing for trout, and now that the first newness of the cement and stonework has begun to "weather in", they have merged into the landscape and although occasionally someone complains about the pylons and wires spoiling the view, we, on the whole have got used to them and a grateful for the advantages of electricity instead of tending oil-lamps and stoves!
We in Killin are fortunate in possessing a commodious and well equipped Village Hall. It was bequeathed in 1935 by the late Archibald McLaren of Dall Lodge, and bears his name, the McLaren Hall. It comprises a main hall with capacity for 400, a lesser hall, committee room and caretaker's house. In the winter there are few evenings when one or the other of them is not in use. There is Badminton two or thrice a week, Country Dancing, Ceilidhs, Meeting of all the local Clubs and Societies from the Junior Agricultural Club to the Scottish Womens Rural Institute, as well as numerous Whist Drives, Sales of Work, Concerts and Dances.
There is a small Church Hall which accommodates various organisations in connection with the Church.
The large Breadalbane Park in which the McLaren Hall stands was gifted to the village by the late Lord Breadalbane in 1949 to be used as a Public Park and includes a children's playground with swings etc., a football pitch and extensive ground on which sports, Agricultural Shows etc., are held. A strip of ground adjoining the McLaren Hall was donated by the late Mr. Alfred Morris of Killin Hotel, and on this an excellent Bowling Green has been laid out and two tennis courts.
A little out of the Village, at Finlarig there is a well kept nine hole golf course, and in winter, when the weather obliges with frost, there is a curling-pond.
All these entertainments and sports cater well for the amusement of young and the not so young, but unfortunately we have no specific industry to provide employment, so that many of our young people must go elsewhere to seek a career and livelihood.
Since 1794, when the population of Breadalbane was at its peak and the Parish of Killin contained 2,360 souls, the population has steadily decreased, with large jumps at the time of the Clearances and the agricultural depression of the 1930s, till in 1957 it numbered 1,199. Unless some industry or other means of livelihood can be introduced to arrest this drift there is little doubt that it can only be expected to continue.
The War Memorial
As one approaches Killin from the West, the first object to catch the eye is the beautifully executed figure of a kilted Highlander. He stands by the roadside, as though guarding the entrance to the village, his rifle slung over his shoulder, his sightless eyes raised to the hills and his ears forever deaf to the murmur of the river behind him - the prototype and memorial of the lads who in 1919 did not return to the river and the hills.
Inchbuie Island
In his younger days the famous Francis Macnab of Macnab is reputed to have courted a lady, and when all other persuasions failed to secure a favourable answer, he said he could promise her the most beautiful Burial Ground in Scotland. The lady does not appear to have been impressed, as Francis died a bachelor, but his claims might be said to be justified.
"The Innis Bhuidhe" or Yellow Isle is certainly unique. It is entered by a gate in the east wall of the Dochart Bridge, from which a flight of steps lead down to ground level. The Island is shaded by many beautiful trees, and the turf has a peculiar golden colour which gives it its name. A grassy path leads to the eastern end where the burial-place lies. There in a stone enclosure rest the remains of the Chiefs of this doughty Clan. The gravestones have carving of the most primitive - Francis himself lies under a large stone with a mediaeval knight in armour on it. The oldest gravestone is dated 1574.
Outside the Enclosure, "where heaves the turn on many a mouldering heap", sleep the common members of the clan, and for chiefs and clansmen the Dochart sings an unending requiem. It is an eerie, romantic spot, where one cannot fail to be touched by the finger of time, and the sense of "old unhappy far off things".
Kinnell House
Kinnell House, the home of the Clan Macnab Chief, is the oldest inhabited house in the district, and though comparatively small for a mansion-house, possesses a charming homelike air. Adjoining the west end is the famous Black Hamburgh Vine which was brought from Auchlyne in 1832 and was for a long time the largest in Britain.
The Whooping-Cough Stone
Almost a mile east of Kinnell House in the meadow which slopes down to the Loch, there stands a large boulder holding in its centre a basin-like hollow, so cunningly sheltered by an overhang that the rainwater which collects there never dries up. This water was believed to cure whooping-cough and some of our older people can remember being taken there as children to have their coughs "cured".
Fingal's Grave
As mentioned earlier this is believed to be situated behind the village not far from the site of the old Celtic Church. The stone which marks it is over three feet in height and five or six in girth, and had lain recumbent for many years until raised to its present position about 1880. It is believed by some local people with a knowledge of the district and its history that the actual site of the Grave was higher up the slope.
Clach-an-Sgadain
Close by the road in the upper reaches of Glenlochay stands a large flat-topped stone known as "Clach-an-Sgadain" or the Herring Stone. In the days of the shielings the people of Lochaber used to journey eastward, and the Killin folk would meet them at the Herring Stone and there an exchange of goods took place, raw flax, butter and cheese for fish.
Fairies and Witches
Most of the tales and folklore of Breadalbane were related and passed on in Gaelic, the ancient tongue of the race, and of course lose much of their character in the translation. Until the turn of the century Gaelic was the household language, though some of the people were bi-lingual, but during the past 50 years it has declined so rapidly that it is rarely heard, and only a small number can speak more than a few words, though an effort is being made to preserve much of the music. It is all too evident that with the passing of the older generation, a rich and precious heritage will have been lost beyond recall.
The older generations were firm believers in the existence of fairies, who had their abode in round green knolls known as "sitheanan". A well-known one of these is at Sith-a-bhruaich in Glendochart, near the farm of Bovain. On one occasion an unwary traveler was lured inside and spent a year and a day with the "wee folk" until a friend learned the magic word which released him from their spell.
An old Gaelic rhyme tells that there too the fairies treasure lies hidden "in the place of the trout" - presumably the bed of the River Dochart!
There was another supernatural being in whom the inhabitants of Breadalbane had a firm belief - this was the "Uruisk" or "Brownie", whom the late Mr. James McDiarmid, a native of Breadalbane and an authority on Folk-lore, describes as half-man half-sprite and a rather jolly sort of chap, who always wore a broad blue bonnet. He was supposed to have his home in or near a waterfall or a lonely hill-loch, but he liked to approach human habitations especially at night and had to be appeased by gifts of food, particularly milk or cream, to which he was very partial. He could prove to be very helpful if duly propitiated - the opposite if he considered himself slighted. Families had been known to leave their homes to escape the misfortunes he could bring down on them if they incurred his displeasure!
In common with other parts of the Highlands, the belief in witchcraft and the "evil eye" was very prevalent. Certain people were credited with the power of "ill-wishing", and consequently were treated with great circumspection. This was mostly in connection with stock and a case of a sickly animal or cow failing in her milk yield was often attributed to a "beum suil" as the evil eye was termed in Gaelic. The cure for this was for the cow to be sprinkled with water over which "the living and the dead had passed", and a prevention was to tie a piece of rowan wood to her tail. The rowan tree was regarded as a protection against evil, hence the fact that one can so frequently be seen leaning over the ruin of a deserted home - a sad commentary on its inefficiency.
As recently as the end of last century very bad feeling arose between two farming families when the cattleman on one farm refused to allow the other farmer to enter his byre as he suspected him of the evil eye.
A well known witch in our district was the Big Grey Wife of Craigchailleach who lived in the 17th century. She had the second sight and was reputed to use the leg-bone of a sheep or pig through which she looked and saw the future events portrayed.
The best known possessor of that doubtful blessing of second sight in Breadalbane was the Lady of Lawers. She was a Stewart of Appin married to a Campbell and came to make her home at Lawers on Loch Tayside, which strictly speaking is outwith our Parish bounds. So many of her prophecies, however, concerned the fate of the Breadalbane Estate that we may be pardoned for claiming a small share of her fame. She lived at the time when the Campbells had almost reached the peak of their power, and her prophecies that in time the estates would come to yield only one rent, and then no rent at all must have seemed at that time so improbable as to be almost ludicrous; but were remembered with awe at the time of their ultimate fulfillment!
A prophecy that the quill of the goose would drive memory from man was taken to mean that the written-word would destroy man's power of memorising. She foresaw "fire coaches" crossing Drumochter, and a strange one, as yet unfulfilled that Ben Lawers would become so cold that it would chill the land for seven miles around.
A peculiar-shaped stone lay for a great number of years near the summit of Ben Lawers which had a strange verse carved on it in Gaelic that has been attributed to the Lady. Translated it runs:-
"Spend as you get
And you'll get as you spend.
Save - and for whom?
Remember Death!"
Alas, the stone is no longer there and is considered to have been taken away by a souvenir-hunter. Unfortunately the Lady left no prophecy as to the doom that would overtake him who breaks the old Commandment, "Remove not the ancient landmark".
There were also women who were skilled in the use of herbs. Wild celery, "muilceann" in Gaelic, when eaten raw was a good blood purifier, as were boiled nettles when young and tender. Trefoil was used as a cure for rheumatism, dandelion leaves for dyspepsia and chamomile tea as a tonic.
A young soldier of the first World War tells how an old woman of the village went up the hill and gathered a quantity of a plant she called "lus Cholluim Chille" or St. Columba's Plant, and which he thinks was St. John's Wort, dried it and presented it to him with the advice to use it as a compress if he ever was unlucky enough to be wounded.
Two Folk Tales from Glenlochay
In Glenlochay, about 3 miles from Killin in a clearing in the wood, can be seen the ruins of a cottage, where dwelt a well-known weaver. One Hogmanay he was returning home when whom should he meet but the Devil! Of course he took to his heels and ran for his life in the direction of home, and the Devil after him. Just as he had almost reached the door the Gentleman with the Horns made a snatch at him, but the weaver ducked, the Devil missed and his hand struck a tree and left its print on the trunk, where it was to be seen for many a day and especially many a night, for it shone in the dark!
Quite near the weaver's house there lies a black, sinister-looking pool in the River Lochay, overshadowed by a high cliff and there, we are told, the last bear to be killed in Scotland met his end - at the hands of a housewife! In by-gone days a house stood a little back from the edge of the precipice, and one morning the goodwife was bending over the fire stirring the porridge when she heard a sound, and turning round beheld the bear standing in the door looking hungrily in. With great presence of mind she turned and seized the boiling porridge pot and dashed its contents full in Bruin's face. With a howl of pain and terror he turned and blundered away. Blinded and in agony he plunged over the precipice and was drowned in the black pool below.
Harvest
At harvest time the last sheaf to be cut, called the "maiden" was brought into the house, sometimes decorated with ribbons etc., and hung above the fireplace. There it remained until the first furrow of the new season's ploughing was to be cut. Then it was taken down and fed to the horses before being yoked. On a few farms it was only the coming of the tractor that brought an end to this quaint custom, which probably came down to us from pagan times.
Beltane Fires
In those far-off days also originated the burning of Beltane Fires by the youth of the village. This continued till about 100 years ago, and the place where these fires were lit is still known as "Cnoc-an-Teine" or the Knoll of the Fire.
Hallowe'en
Hallowe'en until about fifty years ago celebrated "old style" on the 11th November, was another occasion for "high jinks" on the part of the youth of the village and gave an opportunity of avenging grudges harboured against their elders. Garden gates, ladders, wheel-barrows or other portable articles would be removed - not stolen - but deposited perhaps a couple of miles away in some inaccessible place; a particularly annoying trick was to separate the body and wheels of a cart and trundle the latter away to another farm a mile away and hide them in a clump of bushes.
Wedding Customs
When a young man chose a bride he invited a friend to go with him in asking for her hand and to help him to arrange about the dowry. If the father was a farmer this would probably consist of a few head of stock. The bride provided her own trousseau and household plenishments such as linen and blankets, but the bridegroom presented her with her wedding shoes or boots!
The wedding was always held in the bride's home and never in Church, and the invited guests frequently contributed towards the feast - fowls, legs of mutton, "kebbucks" of cheese and great bakings of bannocks. The 'piece de resistance' was a huge pot of thick broth made with stock and barley without vegetables called in Gaelic "cnotan bainnse" or "marriage broth" and of course there were copious potations of "mountain dew".
The bridegroom's party would assemble at his home and, headed by a piper, march to the bride's home. At one time the bridegroom went to his wedding with all the knots and ties on his clothing undone in token that he renounced all former ties. If the weather permitted the ceremony might be performed out of doors and after the feast there would be dancing in the barn till morning. It was the custom to fire a gun in the air for luck after.
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