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TO the south of Easter
Kenknock, which is here bounded by Allt Fuileach, are the lands of Killin
and Barna-carry, the former of which gave name to the parish. These include
the one-merk land of Margowan, the two-and-a-half-merk land of Reinrune and
Marginluig, and the two-and-a-half-merk land of Stix and Barnacarry,
latterly known as Ballechroisk and Monomore. Reinrune and Marginluig extend
from Margowan to Allt Torraidh, and embrace, we believe, what may properly
be called Killin, a name now applied to the whole village, although in the
Valuation Roll of the County the old names of Ballechroisk and Monomore
still appear. The stance of the Killin fairs1 is at Reinrune, beside the
parish church. The latter was erected in 1744, and a stone in the north
gable bears the following inscription :—
Tho. Clark
THE BUILDER OF THIS Church
1744*
The following is a list of
the Killin markets :—
Feille Faolain (St. Fillan’s
market), third Tuesday of January.
Feille Seorais (St. George’s market), 5th May.
An Fhaithir bheag (the Little market), 12th May.
Feille bheag na samhna (Hallow little market), Friday before first Wednesday
of November.
Feille Martain Chillin (Killin St. Martin’s market), Tuesday before nth
November.
The site of the former church
is pointed out a little to the westward, near to Tom-na-croich (the hanging
hill), and beside a stone under which the Ossianic hero, Fingal, is said to
be buried. Close by there is a mound called Tomnangill, where, from time to
time, Courts of the Bailiary of Discher and Toyer were held on delinquents
at this end of Loch Tay. An inn has existed where Streethouse stands for a
long period, and in 1748, when Heritable Jurisdiction in Scotland was
abolished, it became the seat of Justice. In that year a Sheriff Court was
instituted, and Duncan Campbell, of Glenure, was appointed first
Sheriff-Substitute at Killin. The act for disarming the Highlands and
restraining the use of the Highland garb, had undoubtedly much to do with
this step. In 1764, J. Campbell, of Lochdochart, became Sheriff, and
continued till 1770, when the office was discontinued. The prison of Killin
was also at Streethouse, and during recent improvements there, one of the
dungeons was discovered, and converted into a cellar.
The manse and glebe of Killin
lie at the foot of Stronclachan, facing the river Lochay. The old Parochial
school and schoolmaster’s house, a substantial building erected in 1797,
stands by itself on the Ballechroisk crofts. Killin at one time had three
mills—a wauk mill, a lint mill, and a corn mill. This last was in addition
to Millmore, which belonged to the lairds of Macnab, who also owned, on the
north side of the Dochart, several houses, and a small portion of land east
of Monomore, besides two crofts marching with Craignavie. In Monomore, where
there was a change-house, the croft-lands were divided into four
possessions, called Croftnamaish, Croftintobair, Croftcroy, and the
Officer’s Croft. We are inclined to believe that the first-named is the
holding which was originally called Dewar-na-mais croft, and which had been
in the possession of a family of Dewars, the keepers of a relic of St.
Fillan or his Church, in the shape of a vessel of some kind. The crofts in
Ballechroisk had also distinctive names, mostly betokening the crafts of the
possessors.
The lands of Killin had been
granted to the Carthusian Monastery or Charterhouse, which was founded at
Perth in 1429, by James I. and his Queen, being the first of the order in
Scotland. Besides Killin, the Carthusians owned other lands in Glendochart,
and also a part of Ardtalnaig. In 1488, we find the Prior granting to Donald
McCause (McTavish)1 a croft of land in Killin, “with the houses and garden,
and pasturage of four cows and two horses, with power to bake, brew, and
sell flesh, and to buy and sell within the Lordship of Glendochart,
according to the assize of the country, paying yearly to the Parish Church
of Killin, three pounds of wax in honour of the blessed Virgin and St.
Fillan, and all Saints, and for the increase of St. Fillan’s lights before
his image, one pound whereof at the Feast of St. Fillan in summer, and
another at the Feast of St. Fillan in winter.” In 1506, a croft was granted
by charter, in similar terms, to Finlay Macnab. In 1561, a contract was
signed at Islandran, between Sir Colin Campbell, of Glenorchy, and Duncan
Campbell, of Lix, and Ewen, son of the latter, wherein Sir Colin bound
himself to defend them in possession of the lands they held of the
Charterhouse. In 1573, Duncan Campbell, of Lix, infefted Sir Colin in
liferent, and his son, Duncan in fee, in the one-merk land of the Clachan of
Killin,2 lying at the Port of Islandran. |
