The Kingdom of Kippen
For those of you that are not familiar with Kippen and all that it has to offer we gather here a few tidbits of infromation that provide some background history and useful facts.
About Kippen
Kippen is a small Scottish village nestling between the Gargunnock and Fintry hills and overlooking the valley of the River Forth. The village of Kippen commands enviable views over some of Scotland's finest scenery. Kippen and the nearby Kippen Muir are steeped in some of Scotland's most colourful history.
The Name KIPPEN probably comes from the Gaelic (indigenous language of the Scots) word meaning Place of the little stump or outcrop or block. This refers to the geological nature of the village of Kippen as it sits on an outcrop of the Gargunnock Hills.
The King of Kippen
The parish title "The Kingdom of Kippen" was constituted in the reign of James IV when the Proprietor of most of the lands of Kippen, the childless Menzies, adopted John Buchanan as a baby as his inheritor to prevent his estate from being acquired by the King. The title "The King of Kippen" was later bestowed upon John Buchanan by James V.
History relates that while at Stirling Castle, the King sent his men to catch venison from the nearby hills. On returning, the men crossed the land of John Buchanan who ambushed them for their bounty. When the King's men tried to reason that the venison belonged to the King, Buchanan replied that James might be the King of Scotland but he was the King of Kippen. James V was amused and rode out to meet his neighbouring majesty. John Buchanan was cordial to the King and became so great a favourite that he was invited often, as "King of Kippen" to meet his brother sovereign at Stirling.
Rob Roy in Kippen
Born in 1671, Rob Roy lived most of his life within the Trossachs and Loch Lomond area. Cattle were very much the lifeblood of Highlanders in the 16th/17th centuries. There was nothing about the cattle business that Rob Roy did not know. Besides dealing, buying, selling and droving to market, "reiving" or stealing cattle was also commonplace.
When Rob Roy was only 20, he planned and carried out a raid on a valuable herd being driven from Menteith to Stirling. His strategy was to ambush the herd as it passed through Buchlyvie. The men of that village were not privy to this plan and presumed that they were the target of the raid so sent to their neighbours for assistance. On sight of the herd, Rob Roy and his men swept down from Kippen Muir to find themselves caught between the men of Buchlyvie and Kippen.
However, Rob Roy was victorious and the cattle captured, but the unnecessary bloodshed that had occurred so angered Rob Roy that he took the cattle from every byre in Kippen and sent this second herd after the first. Jean Key, a young widow from Balfron, was abducted by Rob Roy's son Robin Oig. Her grave is in the old churchyard of Kippen, pictured right.
The Kippen Vine
Planted in 1891 by local market gardener Duncan Buchanan, the Big Vine was producing 600 bunches of Gros Colman grapes by 1910. By 1960 the production had risen to 2000 bunches a year and the vine covered an area of 5000 square feet stretching for 300 feet with a girth of 55 inches at the main stem.
Recognised as the largest vine in the world under glass, it produced the finest quality grapes for the table. Production costs and cheap imported grapes eventually sounded its death knell and on a grey morning in 1964 Duncan's son Selby took a saw and cut through its gnarled trunk.
Kippen today
Today's Kippen maintains much of its character and architecture of bygone days. The outstanding beauty of the surrounding countryside and location of the old village give way to an almost mystical 'Brigadoon' appearing not out of the Scottish mist . . . certainly permanent and yet only visited by the discerning traveller eager to leave the normal strain of Stirling and Loch Lomond traffic and discover this village, a jewel set in Scotland's Braveheart country.
Although first impressions give way to an atmosphere of familiar quiet that one associates with Scottish village life, the warm welcome extended by the villagers is certainly enhanced by the personal service and local fayre served by Kippen's comfortable and yet contrasting hotels. "The Cross Keys" and "The Inn at Kippen" both also provide excellent accommodation for the short or long term stay. There are also ample B&Bs.
Village shops supply the needs of visitors and villagers alike and a visit to the excellent deli Berits & Brown is a must.
Set against the stunning backdrop of the Trossachs hills, Kippen Primary School is dedicated to providing a safe, secure and stimulating environment where the local children can develop their skills and talents in a variety of ways and to the best of their abilities.
No other village can compare with the abundance of local walks in the area, each from its own vantage point giving way to scenic grandeur.
For More Information
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/kippen
