Fillan of Pittenweem facts for kids
Saint Fillan was a Scottish monk who lived a very long time ago, in the 500s. He was active in an area of Scotland called Fife. People celebrate his special day, called a feast day, on June 20.
It's important not to mix up this Saint Fillan (sometimes called Fillan of Pittenweem) with another Saint Fillan who lived later. The Fillan we're talking about worked in places like Aberdour, where a church is named after him, and also in Forgan.
There's a tradition about a rocky seat on top of a hill called Dunfillan, near Comrie. People believed Saint Fillan sat there and blessed the land around him. For a long time, people thought sitting on that rock could help with back pain! At the bottom of the hill, there was a stone basin known as "Fillan's Spring." People said its water could cure sore eyes.
A historian named William Forbes Skene believed that the village of St Fillans, located at the eastern end of Loch Earn, got its name from this very saint. Saint Fillan of Pittenweem passed away at a quiet, religious retreat called a disert (or hermitage) near Kinghorn.
Contents
Exploring St Fillan's Cave
St Fillan's Cave is a special place found in Cove Wynd in Pittenweem. It has been connected to Saint Fillan for a very long time. Inside the cave, there are flat rocks that people think were used as beds. At the back, there's a small spring of "holy water" and a well.
This cave was a popular stop for pilgrims. Pilgrims were people who traveled to holy places. They would stop here on their way to St Andrews or to visit St. Ethernan's shrine on the Isle of May.
A historian named Robert Sibbald said that around the year 1100, King Edgar, King of Scotland gave Pittenweem to a group of monks called the Culdees. Later, King David I of Scotland gave the land to the monks of the Priory of St. Mary the Virgin. These monks built the Priory of St. Adrian right over the ancient cave linked to Saint Fillan. They even built a secret stairway from the cave, which led up to a vaulted cellar in the Priory grounds.
The Cave's Many Uses
Over the years, St Fillan's Cave was used for many different things. For a while, it was used by smugglers, who secretly moved goods. It also served as a storage room for local fisherfolk, as Pittenweem has been a fishing village for a very long time.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, when people hunted for witches, the cave was even used as a prison. Sadly, it was also used as a place to dump rubbish, which probably caused it to be forgotten for some time.
Rediscovering the Cave
Around the year 1900, the cave was rediscovered by accident! A horse was ploughing in the Priory garden when it fell into a hole, leading right into the cave.
In 1935, the cave was rededicated as a place of worship by the Bishop of St. Andrews. It has since been fixed up and opened to visitors in October 2000. Today, the Bishop Low Trust owns the cave, and it is looked after by St John's Scottish Episcopal Church in Pittenweem. It is open for everyone to visit.
See also
Images for kids
-
Cove Wynd and St Fillan's Cave
-
St Fillan's Cave showing internal structure and altar.
