Scottish Towns - Killin, Stirlingshire

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Killin History

Breadalbane, whose boundaries were never drawn, has the village of Killin at its heart, nestling at the foot of Stronachlachan near the place where the Rivers Dochart and Lochay meet. The place names of this ancient territory are all Gaelic, the language of its people until earlier this century.

Black Duncan of the Cowl, a Campbell Laird of Glenorchy, amassed lands all around Perthshire and Argyllshire by any means neccessary. His stronghold in Killin was Finlarig Castle, which still has its beheading pit and hanging mound. He was also an early conservationist of trees, and sold his tenants trees at twopence each.

The oldest Clan in Killin is MacNab with a 1000 year old history. They were descended from the Abbots of Glendochart and related to the MacGregors and the MacNaughtons.
The burial ground of the MacNabs is one of the most beautiful, situated on an island in the River Dochart (known as the "Yellow Island" because of the colour of the grass). There is evidence that there may have been an ancient fort on the island, possibly from the Bronze or Iron Age. The ground is also said to be haunted - the ghost of the last person buried standing guard until the next burial.

Following the civil war of 1654, all the MacNab lands in Killin were given to the Campbells who were based nearby. When Parliament relented and handed back the MacNab lands the Campbells kept their castle, which can still be seen.

The old meal mill, founded by St. Fillan (and containing the healing stones), is now a Folklore centre and home to the Tourist Information Office. St. Fillan was a follower of St. Columba and came to Killin around the end of the 7th century. He taught here and as tradition demands, every Christmas Eve St. Fillan's healing stones are given a fresh bed of straw and reeds from the riverbank.

Killin is also where you will find Fingal's grave, where the first church in Killin is believed to have been. Fingal, a legendary figure in Celtic mythology, is thought to have the village named after him. The derivation of the name Killin is thought to be Cil-fhinn, (Cell of Fingal).