St Fillans

St Fillans is a small Village at the east end of Loch Earn, 55 miles north of Glasgow, 21 miles north of Callander, 34 miles west of Perth. The Village of Lochearnhead is 7 miles west at the west end of the Loch.

St Fillans is popular for its Hotels, Holiday Park, Watersports, Golf, and Hiking the 985m / 3,232ft Ben Vorlich Mountain.

There are also a number of Walks in the area.

For Images on Mobile swipe right

Click on Map for area Attractions & Mountains

Camping & Touring Parks in area

The image top is of from a Foot Bridge over where the River Earn flows out of Loch Earn with the Gardens and Jetty here being part of the Loch Earn Brewery & Hotel.

The second image is of the Loch Earn Brewery & Hotel. This was originally the Drummond Hotel built in the 1870s on the site of an earlier Inn. The Hotel has Gardens and a Jetty at the Loch for Watersports.

The Four Seasons Hotel is about half of a mile west of St Fillans with views over Loch Earn. This building was completed around 1800 as a family home for a local businessman and converted to a Hotel in the early 1900s. The Beetles pop group stayed there in 1964.

St Fillans Golf Course is on the south side of the Village, a 9 Hole Course opened in 1903.

Loch Earn Holiday Park is on Loch Earn south side with a range of Caravans for holidays. The Park has a Jetty and Pitches for Tourers, 2 miles from St Fillans.

The 985m / 3,232ft Ben Vorlich mountain is on the south side of Loch Earn, with a Car Park about 5 miles from St Fillans, a good fairly safe Hike.

The 975m / 3,199ft Stuc a Chroin mountain is behind Ben Vorlich, a good mountain for Scrambling. There are also a number of other Mountains close by, see the Click on Map.

St Fillans Area History:

600s - a Pictish Fort was built on the 120m / 394ft craggy Dundurn Hill to the south-east of the Village, now a popular Hike.

The very small Village that evolved here at the east end of Loch Earn was known as Port Lochearn or Meikleport.

1250 - a Castle was built on a Man Made Island on Loch Earn for Clan MacNeish, known as Neish Island.

1300s - St Fillans Chapel was built between the Village and Dundrum Hill, named after an Irish Saint that lived here around the 700s. This Chapel is the Ancestral Burial Ground for the Stewart's of Ardvorlich, an Estate on the southwest side of Loch Earn.

1300s - Clan Drummond had acquired a large Estate 13 miles east of St Fillans, where they built the large Drummond Castle. This Clan would later invest in the building of St Fillans.

1612 - the MacNabs attacked Neish Island, killing the Chief and most of the Clan MacNeish.

1810 - Sir Walter Scott's poem The Lady of the Lake was released about the area, leading to Tourism in the area.

1817 - the Drummond's from Drummond Castle were building up the Village, re-naming it St Fillans, with a small Inn built that year.

1842 - Queen Victoria visited the area, leading to more Tourism.

1856 - St Fillans Free Church was built.

1870s - the St Fillans Inn was re-built into the large Drummond Hotel, now the Loch Earn Brewery & Hotel.

1878 - Dundrum Parish Church was built in St Fillans.

1901 - the Railway reached St Fillans, increasing Tourism.

1903 - St Fillans Golf Course opened.

1951 - the Railway closed.

1957 - A Hydro-electric Power Station was opened on west side of the Village.

1964 October - The Beetles pop group stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel for 2 nights, spending hours Boating on Loch Earn. The Beetles were on a Scottish Tour, flying into Prestwick Airport then playing in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Full Story.

2005 - the Free Church was converted to a Family Home.

For more History visit this Website