The Falls of Dochart, which rush through the Perthshire village of Killin, are one of the prettiest sights of Breadalbane (though as usual my photos hardly do it justice). But the Falls also have a long history. The rushing waters swirl past an eighteenth century bridge and the ancient burial ground of Clan MacNab, and on through the village of Killin, which is associated with many stone circles and monuments, strange tales, and wonderful views from the nearby hills across to Loch Tay. The salmon fishing was also historically valuable. But the Falls of Dochart- whose name may mean ‘Scourer of Evil’-  are particularly associated with Saint Fillan, who is supposed to have built a mill on the River Dochart in the eighth century. 

Saint Fillan is a shadowy figure- he was highly popular in Scotland during the Middle Ages and afterwards, but his actual history is very difficult to extract from the vast amount of myth and folklore surrounding him. Many relics and objects have been associated with him, and some have played important roles in Scotland’s history. Before the Battle of Bannockburn, Maurice, the Abbot of Inchaffray, was supposed to carry the saint’s arm bone to the field of battle in order to bring luck to Robert the Bruce’s forces. The legend goes that the Abbot, worried about the relic falling into English hands, left the arm bone at Inchaffray and only brought the reliquary but, miraculously, when King Robert was praying before the reliquary, the bone was found inside. Another famous relic is the saint’s bell: allegedly curing afflictions of the head and flying through the air to Saint Fillan when he needed it, it was used in the coronation of James IV. The Clan Dewar were the traditional keepers of other relics such as the saint’s crozier- the Quigrich- which originally had an eleventh century bronze head but was then covered by a silver one in the fourteenth century, and the Ferg, a stone associated with Fillan. Now, the saint’s bell and the crozier heads are kept in the National Museum of Scotland. 

Due to their links with the saint, the Falls of Dochart were for long associated with the healing of the sick. Even after the Reformation St Fillan was still venerated as an early Scottish saint and well into the nineteenth century, suffering pilgrims would be taken to the Falls for cure. On particular relic still attracted visitors- a set of stones which are alleged to have belonged to Saint Fillan were believed to have healing properties when moved in a certain pattern. These stones are still kept in the mill on the Falls of Dochart- now the Breadalbane Folklore Centre-.and a ‘bedding ceremony’ for the stones takes place yearly, while they are still used for healing on occasion, by special appointment. St Fillan’s continued popularity as a Celtic saint, for all the myth surrounding him, makes his cult an interesting subject for both the historian and anyone with an ounce of curiosity, and while the Falls of Dochart are worth a visit for their natural beauty alone, it’s worth taking the time to do a bit of light investigation into the area’s fascinating local heritage.

(St Fillan’s Bell and the heads of the Quigrich in the National Museum. Not my picture)