<![CDATA[John's Scottish History Pages - Blog]]>Wed, 30 Sep 2026 17:32:37 +0000Weebly<![CDATA[How Saint Fillan got his healing powers]]>Wed, 30 Sep 2026 14:35:08 GMThttps://www.johnscothist.com/blog/how-saint-fillan-got-his-healing-powers
This story was told me by Duncan Mathieson around the early 1990s when I was working on the Glendochart area and he was working on Jeanie McAlpine's Inn at Aberfoyle; I I wrote it down very shortly after he told it, trying to recall his words exactly - but some variations will have crept in!

Saint Fillan was travelling and studying and in particular he was visiting all the great healers in France. He came to one man, a very great healer. who asked him where he came from when he answered that he came from Kintail in Scotland. The healer asked him if he would do him a favour, a very great favour.  St Fillan answered that if it was in his power he would certainly do so. Well, says th
e healer, he wanted him to go back to Kintail and go to a certain place which he told him how to find and there under a certain stone he would find a white snake, the king of the serpents. He was to catch it and bring it back to the healer in France. Fillan agreed and set off back to Scotland. Wen he got there he went to the place the healer had described, found the stone and under it sure enough the serpent which he captured. Of course when the other serpents realised that their king was captured they woke up and chased after Fillan. Hundreds of them. But, as you know, if you jump over seven streams then you're safe from any serpent. And, as there were plenty of streams about, Fillan was able to jump over seven before the serpents caught up and he was able to start off back to France.
 He arrived at the healer’s  place and showed him the serpent and he was very very pleased. The healer took a kettle and into the kettle he put some water. Then he put the serpent in and put the kettle on the fire. When it was boiling he told Fillan that he was going to leave him for a short time and asked him to stir the pot for him and he made him promise that he would on no account taste the contents of the pot. Which Fillan agreed to do. Fillan stirred and stirred but he was very very tired with all his travelling between Scotland and France and momentarily he fell asleep. His hand slipped and his finger, just the tip , dipped into the pot touching the hot froth on top of the broth. Quickly, still half asleep he pulled it out and without thinking put it in his mouth to suck and soothe it. And that’s how Fillan got his healing powers.
]]><![CDATA[Stirling Archives - Document of the Month]]>Sun, 09 Aug 2026 13:18:18 GMThttps://www.johnscothist.com/blog/stirling-archives-document-of-the-monthI have been using Stirling Council Archives for rather longer than I care to confess. It continues to astonish me, what treasures and pleasures, surprises and delights, the records can reveal.
On the other hand, like other archive users, I am usually looking for information on a particular topic. Whilst much of what I find is extraneous to the search; however interesting in itself, it will be set aside when I come to write up results for publication.
But I was recently reminded of a find, from many years ago, which revealed a quirky story, insights into some aspects of life in early 18th century Stirling and also, most vividly for me, the almost entirely arbitrary chances of documentary survival. The story I have always carried in my mind, in fact, is that most records of the past do NOT SURVIVE!

You can find my thoughts, with images of several of the documents themselves, at 
http://www.stirlingarchives.scot/2026/08/01/serendipity-a-letter-of-october-1706-found-in-the-papers-of-stirling-burgh-court/

]]><![CDATA[Women and the Branks in Stirling]]>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 09:27:22 GMThttps://www.johnscothist.com/blog/women-and-the-branks-in-stirling​ 
It does not just seem a long time since my paper about the use of the horrible branks or ‘scold’s bridle’ in Stirling was published; (John G Harrison, 1998. Women and the Branks in Stirling, c. 1600- c. 1730. Scottish Social and Economic History, volume 18(2), p;114-131). It is, indeed, a long time!
Up to that time, whilst many historians mention the instrument, whether in Scotland or England, they were aware of only a few instances of actual use and there was a good deal of assumption in the accounts. The Stirling records revealed 44 branks-related punishments and 106 incidents where women were threatened or punished with the branks. Strikingly, the detail revealed that both accused and accusers (particularly before about 1670) were mainly  women married to artisan-burgesses – so they were not ‘the poor’ and would continue to live in the town after their punishment.
Salient findings were that the punishments were often for disputes with other women of similar status and social profile, not for disputes with their husbands, albeit after about 1670 the cases sometimes involved other high status men. The punishment was graded – from the threat of the branks, through having to carry the instrument through the town, to having to wear it in a procession through the streets, perhaps to the house of the complainer. And, most striking of all, their neighbours would remember their punishment and, perhaps, ‘cast it up’ later = on one occasion 19 years after the event! Reputation was central to these cases – the accused were, indeed,  women with disputatious reputations who now gained a reputation for being branked.
A few later publications cited the paper (particularly noting the comparison between the branked women and women accused of witchcraft). However, interest later seemed to fade and it has received little attention online. Only recently have enquiries and citations begun to bubble up again. So, I thought it worthwhile to raise it again here. I think it is a substantial piece of work, vividly illustrating several aspects of the social life of the Scotland of the period.
​
]]><![CDATA[The King's Pool and James IV's Designed Landscape at Stirling]]>Tue, 18 Nov 2025 15:21:42 GMThttps://www.johnscothist.com/blog/the-kings-pool-and-james-ivs-designed-landscape-at-stirlingIt's always good to announce a new publication and I feel this one is rather special. It is, after all, not every day that a major new feature is revealed in a well-studied landscape - and I am likely to be amongst those most astonished by this finding of a hitherto unknown pool - clearly an ornamental water feature - just below Stirling Castle.
Another cause for rejoicing is that Stephen Digney agreed to participate in the write-up and has contributed very substantially to it.
Harrison, J.G. & Digney, S, 2025. The King's Pool and James IV's Designed Landscape at Stirling. Forth Naturalist and Historian, 48, p. 51-68.
]]><![CDATA[The 'PIn Wright' and some other Scots medieval heroes.]]>Sun, 26 Oct 2025 15:00:17 GMThttps://www.johnscothist.com/blog/the-pin-wright-and-some-other-scots-medieval-heroesA recent. informal enquiry reminded me of some notes I had made years ago about the carpenter, alleged to have severed Stirling Bridge, helping the great Scots victory of 1297.
It is a tale easily enough dismissed as a part of the practical evolution of the battle - as I show.
However, this and other improbable aspects of these tales do have, I suggest, a significant literary and rhetorical role.
here are my thoughts. I think there is a case for further researching these tales!. Any thoughts would be welcome.]]><![CDATA[Forth  Naturalist and Historian Conference 15th Nov 2025]]>Sat, 20 Sep 2025 11:11:22 GMThttps://www.johnscothist.com/blog/forth-naturalist-and-historian-conference-16th-nov-2025The FNH Conference is always 'a good day' with a wide variety of  talks and this year is special as it is the 50th event. And appropriately the theme is; 
      Changes in the natural and cultural heritage in the Forth Valley over the last 50 years.
I will be speaking about the Ochils - about what we have learned in the past 50 years and about how (dramatically) the Ochils are changing today. You can now download a recording of this (and the other talks) at https://www.youtube.com/@forthnaturalisthistorian2022/playlists.
Other talks include one on the establishment of the Forth Naturalist and Historian itself, one on the Antonine Wall, one of changing local butterflies and one on the rewilding at Argaty, with beavers and red kites to the fore.
So, lots of variety, there will be pleasant company and lively discussion. Why not put it in the diary?
Find details of the day, booking form etc here.


]]><![CDATA[Honours of Scotland]]>Wed, 02 Apr 2025 13:59:10 GMThttps://www.johnscothist.com/blog/honours-of-scotlandIn 2017/ 2018 I produced a Report for Historic Environment Scotland The Honours of Scotland; Supplementary Information. It comprised finds made, over many years, about the Honours and related artefacts and was intended as a supplement to more systematic research by others. 
It seemed to vanish. However, I now see that, slightly edited, it has appeared online so I am providing a link.
​You can find the link by searching 'Honours of Scotland' + Harrison + 'Supplementary Information' which  leads to a PDF file of the Report.]]><![CDATA[Lecture; Environment and Landscapes of Medieval Stirling]]>Fri, 28 Feb 2025 09:04:25 GMThttps://www.johnscothist.com/blog/lecture-environment-and-landscapes-of-medieval-stirlingTo mark the 900th Anniversary of the accession of David I, Forth Naturalist and Historian held a big conference at Stirling University. I was pleased to be invited to speak (see notice of conference below). I spoke on The Environment and Landscapes of Medieval Stirling and the talk is now available (free) online here along with the other presentations given over the weekend.]]><![CDATA[Maternity Hospital, Stirling]]>Sun, 19 Jan 2025 15:03:21 GMThttps://www.johnscothist.com/blog/maternity-hospital-stirlingThe Stirling Historical Society has received an enquiry from a lady - all the way from the San Francisco, CA, USA  regarding the identity of a nursing home in Stirling which would have presumably been used as a maternity ward - where her mother was born on 1946. The lady will be coming to Stirling in March of this year and would like to visit the place where her mother was born. The building has since been identified as '2 Snowdon Place' and seems to be subdivided into flats. If anyone has any knowledge or memories associated with this building, please let us know.
Picture
]]><![CDATA[Lecture in Alloa on 27 Jan]]>Mon, 13 Jan 2025 07:54:24 GMThttps://www.johnscothist.com/blog/lecture-in-alloa-on-27-janI have spoken several times to the Clackmannanshire Field Studies group over the years. I am talking on 27th Jan at 7.30pm in the Greenfield Hall.
The talk will be 'Centuries of Change in the Ochils' and will take a broad sweep from the medieval landscapes to the rapid and profound changes happening today.
Further details at https://cfss.org.uk/events/]]>