Out & About: A few days in Tyndrum, Scotland.

We had a few days away up in Tyndrum, Scotland on a coach tour with Highland Heritage. The weather could have been better but it was still a very nice break. The hotel was The Royal and cant be faulted, the rooms, the food and staff were all excellent. There were trips out every day but i had been to all of them so i stopped in a couple of days and had a walk along part of the West Highland Way. Just strung a few pics together of some of the places visited.

River rapids just north of Tyndrum Lower railway station

Looking north from Tyndrum Lower railway station

The start of my walk at Kirkton Farm where i got dropped off from the coach.

Graveyard opposite St. Fillan's Priory

St. Fillan's Priory a ruined small religious house lying next to Kirkton Farm, on the left bank of the River Fillan, 2 miles (3 km) southeast of Tyndrum and 3 miles (5 km) northwest of Crianlarich, St. Fillan's Priory was established by Robert the Bruce in 1318 close to the site of an older foundation. St. Fillan had brought Christianity from Iona in the 8th century and created a monastic settlement at nearby Auchtertyre. Following his defeat at the Battle of Methven in 1306, Bruce was granted sanctuary at the old chapel here. In gratitude gave land to build a new foundation, and the church at Killin, to the Augustinian monks of Inchaffray Abbey on condition they maintain the new priory.

Alistair MacDougall, seeking revenge for Bruce's murder of John Comyn, tracked down Bruce and his men to the priory. A battle ensued in a nearby field, now known as Dalrigh (the King's Field) in which Bruce and his men fought bravely against greatly superior numbers before being forced to flee. In retreat, Bruce's men threw their heavy arms into the tiny Lochan nan Arm, where they are thought to remain to this day.By 1607 the priory had become the property of the Campbells. Little remains of the building as the stones were quarried to construct the neighbouring farmhouse and its outbuildings. A half-mile (0.8 km) to the northwest is St. Fillan's Holy Pool, which was blessed by the saint and said to cure insanity.

The remains of St. Fillans Priory

Looking south towards Ben More on the left.

Looking north towards Dalrigh

Me, having a rest on the West Highland Way.

The West highland Way stretches from Glasgow to Fort William and is 96 miles long.

Wigwams at Strathfillan with the Fort William railway line above.

Waterfall at Strathfillan Wigwams

Old road bridge over the river Fillans

St. Fillans Holy Pool where insane people were treated.
St Fillan's Holy Pool is a natural, deep pool at a sharp bend in the River Fillan. There is now no evidence of stonework but the pool was once divided by a stone dyke into male and female sides.

The Battle of Dalrigh, also known as the Battle of Strathfillan, was fought in the summer of 1306 between the army of King Robert I of Scotland against the Clan MacDougall of Argyll who were allies of Clan Comyn and the English. It took place at the hamlet of Dalrigh (the "King's Field" in the Scottish Gaelic language) near Tyndrum in Argyll, Scotland. Bruce's army, reeling westwards after defeat by the English at the Battle of Methven, was intercepted and all but destroyed, with Bruce himself narrowly escaping capture. The battle took place sometime between late July and early August, but the exact date is unknown.

The caption on this stone seat relates to the nearby site of the Battle of Dalrigh 1306.

If you look very carefully bottom right hand corner you may see 2 faces in the rocks.

I made a detour from the West Highland Way and went on towards the Gold mine at Cononish

The river Cononish

Long and winding and steep road to the only gold mine in Scotland.

Cononish Gold Mine
In 1984 a gold bearing quartz vein was discovered by the Irish firm Ennex International on the lower south eastern slopes of Beinn Chùirn just above Cononish Farm at Eas Anie. The company spent over £250,000 doing test drillings and were hopeful that the mine would be very productive. The gold, which is the most important deposit found in Scotland so far, occurs as minute particles inside Pyrite and Galenawhich in turn occur in the quartz vein.