Saint Fillan was a sixth-century Scottish monk active in

Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross (i ...

. His feast day is 20 June.Mackinlay, James Murray. ''Folklore of Scottish Lochs and Springs'', W. Hodge & Company, 1893, p. 81 et seq
/ref> St Fillan's Church - geograph

Fillan of Pittenweem is not to be confused with the later Fillan of Munster, who settled at

Strath Fillan Strath Fillan ( gd, Na Sraithibh) is a strath in west Perthshire named after an 8th-century Irish hermit monk later canonised Saint Fillan. Located in the region was once Strath Fillan Priory, an early 14th century foundation, later destroyed by th ...

.Scott, Archibald Black. ''The Pictish Nation, Its People & Its Church'', T. N. Foulis, 1918, p. 355, n.†
/ref> Fillan of Pittenweem worked in

Aberdour Aberdour (; Scots: , gd, Obar Dobhair) is a scenic and historic village on the south coast of Fife, Scotland. It is on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, looking south to the island of Inchcolm and its Abbey, and to Leith and Edinburgh beyo ...

, (where the parish church bears his name), as well as in Forgan. On the top of Dunfillan near

Comrie Comrie may refer to: Places *Comrie (crater), a lunar crater *Comrie, Fife, a village in Fife, Scotland *Comrie, Perth and Kinross, a village and parish in Strathearn, Scotland People with the surname *Aaron Comrie (born 1997), Scottish footballer ...

was a rocky seat where, according to tradition, Fillan sat and gave his blessing to the country 'round. Up until the eighteenth century, there was a belief that sitting there could be beneficial for rheumatism of the back. A stone basin at the bottom the hill, was known as "Fillan's Spring", whose water was said to cure sore eyes. According to historian and antiquary William Forbes Skene, the village of

St Fillans St Fillans is a village in Perthshire in the central highlands of Scotland, in the council area of Perth and Kinross. The village lies at the eastern end of Loch Earn, west of Comrie on the A85 road, at the point where the River Earn leaves t ...

, on the eastern end of Loch Earn, takes its name from him. Fillan of Pittenweem died at the ''disert'' of Tyrie near Kinghorn

St Fillan's Cave

St Fillan's Cave, situated in Cove Wynd, Pittenweem has long been associated with Fillan. The cave has flat rocks that are presumed to have been used as beds and a small spring of " holy water" at its rear and a well. The cave was a stopping off point for pilgrims on their way to

St Andrews St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...

or St. Ethernan's shrine on the Isle of May. Antiquarian

Robert Sibbald Sir Robert Sibbald (15 April 1641 – August 1722) was a Scottish physician and antiquary. Life He was born in Edinburgh, the son of David Sibbald (brother of Sir James Sibbald) and Margaret Boyd (January 1606 – 10 July 1672). Educated at th ...

says that in 1100, Edgar, King of Scotland gave Pittenweem to the Culdees. Later, David I of Scotland granted the monks of the Priory of St. Mary the Virgin on the Isle of May the manor of Pittenweem, where they erected the Priory of St. Adrian over the ancient cave associated with Saint Fillan. A stairway was built by the monks of the priory from the cave, ending in a vaulted cellar in the Priory grounds. The cave was also used by smugglers for some time, and as a store room for local fisherfolk (Pittenweem has been a fishing village since the time of early

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

settlement and later a harbour was constructed). It served as a prison during the witch hunts of the 17-18th centuries and was used as a rubbish tip which probably resulted in its disappearance for some time. The cave was rediscovered about 1900 when a horse ploughing in the Priory garden fell down a hole into it. It was rededicated as a place of worship by the

Bishop of St. Andrews The Bishop of St. Andrews ( gd, Easbaig Chill Rìmhinn, sco, Beeshop o Saunt Andras) was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews in the Catholic Church and then, from 14 August 1472, as Archbishop of St Andrews ( gd, Àrd-easbaig ...

in 1935.Sharp, Mick, ''The Way and the Light'', Aurum Press Ltd, 2000. It has since been refurbished and opened to visitors as of October 2000, and is owned by the Bishop Low Trust. It is entrusted to St John's Scottish Episcopal Church in Pittenweem,East Neuk Episcopal Churches "St John's"
and is open to the public. Image:Cove Wynd and St Fillan's Cave, Pittenween - geograph.org.uk - 150644.jpg, Cove Wynd and St Fillan's Cave Image:Stfillans_cave_internal_hi.jpg, St Fillan's Cave showing internal structure and altar.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Filan, Saint Christian saints in unknown century Year of birth missing Year of death missing British Benedictines Benedictine saints Fife Medieval Scottish saints Scottish Roman Catholic priests

St Fillan's Cave

See also

References