Archaeology Notes

Event ID 677741

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/677741

NN72SW 6 c. 708 232

The spring of St Fillan, at the W end of Strathearne is at the foot of a rock, a quarter of a mile south of Dun-Fhaolain (St Fillan's Hill - NN 7023). It is still visited by invalids especially on 1st May and the 1st August. A white stone is thrown on the saint's cairn and rags are left. A rock on the summit of the hill formed a chair for saint. At the foot of the hill there is a basin made by the saint, on the top of a large stone.

OSA 1794.

Tradition reports that the spring at NN 7081 2326, on top of St Fillan's Hill, is the original St Fillan's Well, but, (probably at the Reformation) a spring at the foot of a rock a quarter of a mile to the south adopted the name (Anon 1896).

The well on the top of the hill is still evident and is a rock basin. The spring at the foot of the hill was situated at NN 7084 2313, (Mr P Kay, Mid Square, Dalginross, Comrie) at the edge of a stream which has now washed it away. Near this spot a large rock, on and around which several small white stones have been thrown, as if to form a cairn, can still be seen. St Fillan's Chair is at NN 7083 2325.

The basin at the foot of the hill could not be found.

Visited by OS (RD), 1 December 1966.

No change to the previous information. The hilltop well was dry; there are still a number of small white stones on two large boulders at NN 7084 2313, but no evidence of a cairn.

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (MJF), 29 August 1980.