Discovering Big Stories In Scotland’s Sma’ Glen

Have you ever heard of Scotland’s Sma’ Glen?

It’s an amazing wee place, just a few miles long, connecting the Lowlands with the Scottish Highlands. One an important route through the mountains, today its often bypassed for faster roads, making it more of a hidden gem.

Sometimes, the Sma’ Glen is called Glencoe in Miniature, but I think it deserves more than being called a lesser version of somewhere else! It might be small, but it’s packed with stories of cattle-drovers and cannibals, Gaelic heroes and great feats of strength. Hopefully, I can convince you to visit the Sma’ Glen and experience them for yourself!

Where Is The Sma’ Glen?

The Sma’ Glen can be found between Crieff and Aberfeldy as one small section of Glen Almond. The A822 road runs right through it, roughly following the route of an old military road. It only runs for a few miles and you might pass right through without even realising it.

You’ll know you’re there when the steep hillsides seem to squeeze together as the River Almond rushes past. There are 3 or 4 places to pull over in the glen itself to admire the views or walk out to explore. You’ll need a car to get here, it’s not somewhere serviced by public transport.

Here’s the best place to find car hire in Scotland and if you’re nervous about driving here, this article about How To Drive In Scotland will help!

Fowlis Wester Pictish Stone

Technically, this is just before the southern end of the Sma’ Glen, but it’s well worth adding into your journey! Inside St Bean’s Church in Fowlis Wester stands an incredible carved cross. This is the 1200 year old Fowlis Wester Pictish Stone, evidence of how long this area has been inhabited.

It towered above me at over 3m high and is said to be the tallest Pictish symbol stone ever made! There are taller stones, but Fowlis Wester has mysterious Pictish symbols carved in. The most prominent is the crescent and V-Rod that still have archaeologists scratching their heads.

The edges of the cross protrude just a couple of inches beyond the rest of the slab, almost making it freestanding. The other side is badly weathered, but you can still make out a hunting party with hawks and hounds. Below that, a man leads a cow before an army of warriors. Was this part of an unknown Pictish ritual?

This stone hasn’t always stood inside a church, it was moved here just over 30 years ago for protection. Before that, it stood in the village green where you can still see a replica today and that explains the metal chain on the cross. It once held the village jougs – an iron collar that was used to punish anybody misbehaving!

Even that was the stone’s second location, it’s original spot was outside an old chapel three miles away. The locals clearly wanted it closer to home and to show how much they cared, they poured boiling oil on it regularly to protect it from the weather! I think it was probably a good idea just to move it inside instead…

Follow General Wade’s Military Road

While the road through the Sma’ Glen might be a modern one, it follows a route taken for centuries. All manner of people have passed this way from ordinary travellers to drovers moving cattle to market in Crieff to enormous armies!

However, in the middle of the Jacobite Rising, routes like this proved difficult for the British Army. They realised that the lack of solid roads put their troops at a severe disadvantage while traversing the Highlands. The lightly burdened locals could disappear over hills and through passes with no problem, while their heavy wagons were often bogged down.

In the 1720s, General Wade was put in charge of constructing new roads through key routes. As part of that, new barracks and forts were built at strategic spots, like Fort Augustus or Ruthven Barracks. You can still see this important bit of history in the Sma’ Glen on Google Maps, marking this as the Old Military Road!

Attempt The Saddlin Mare

If you’re entering the Sma’ Glen from the south, then one of the first stories you’ll come across is the Saddlin Mare. This is a historic test of strength, only to be attempted by those who are brave and capable in equal measure! The plinth, known as the Mare, is just beside the road but you’ll need to park a little further up in a layby.

There are lifting stones all over Scotland, used by clans to test manhood or travellers to pass the time. All are slightly different and the Saddlin Mare is one of the most unique. The large stones at its base are the saddles, the largest of which weighs 200lb. Lifting it off the ground isn’t too bad, but placing it on the sloping plinth without it slipping back is much harder!

I’ll admit that I tried and failed, but it just means I have a good excuse for a return visit to the Sma’ Glen!

Sma’ Glen’s Roman Remains

In Scotland, we often like to say that we were the only place to keep the Roman Empire out! Well, they might not have conquered us, but they did make their mark and you can find it in the Sma’ Glen. A series of forts were built where the Lowlands met the Highlands as the Romans tried to block tribes from moving south.

The closest wasn’t far away at Fendoch, although there’s little left, but while it was well-defended, it had limited views. That’s why a Roman signal tower was built high up in the Sma’ Glen, giving an early warning of any armies moving south towards the fort. They weren’t in use for long which explains the limited remains.

It seems that after just a year or two, the structures were deliberately dismantled and the timbers burnt. The legionaries marched back south to their defensive line below the Forth-Clyde line. The Romans came, they saw, they tried and they failed!

Clach Ossian – Ossian’s Stone

Towards the north end of the Sma’ Glen, Ossian’s Stone sits alone in a field on the right. This boulder is said to have marked the burial spot of the great Gaelic bard Ossian, son of the heroic Fingal. However, it doesn’t mark his burial anymore thanks to the roadbuilder General Wade!

When the road through the Sma’ Glen was laid out, this big boulder just happened to stand right in the way. Rather than reroute it, the soldiers got to work moving the stone, using so much effort that they wondered how anybody had put it there in the first place! Beneath, they found the remains of a burial from the long-distant past.

The commander decided that he was going to keep these ancient remains for himself as a curiosity, believing they were once a great Roman General. Thankfully, he wouldn’t get the chance.

In the night, a horde of locals from around the Sma’ Glen descended on Ossian’s Stone by torchlight. They gathered up the remains with the greatest respect, carrying them off somewhere into the hills to rebury them in secret.

We don’t know where Ossian was moved to and that’s maybe for the best. He’s somewhere nobody is going to bother him ever again!

Andrew Christie Of The Cleek

The final story from my visit to the Sma’ Glen isn’t a pleasant one. It’s a terrifying piece of local folklore that we can only hope isn’t true!

It comes from the mid-14th century, when this part of Scotland was suffering a terrible famine. Times were so hard that some of the good people of Perth were forced to take to the hills around the Sma’ Glen and try and scavenge food. What they couldn’t find by honest means, they stole from people travelling through the pass.

One of their leaders was Andrew Christie, a butcher who became known as Christie of the Cleek. His cleek was a long hooked pole that he used to haul people to the ground. Christie then put his butchering skills to good use, carving up the victims for their band of outlaws to feast upon.

An armed group eventually arrived from Perth to take care of the Sma’ Glen’s cannibals, however, Christie escaped. It’s said that he disappeared to Dumfries where he re-entered society as an honourable merchant. His dark days as Christie of the Cleek were only revealed by his deathbed confession!

The tale definitely feels a bit like the famous Legend of Sawney Bean!

Where To Stay In The Sma’ Glen

There isn’t any accommodation in the Sma’ Glen itself, unless you’re planning on camping. Here are a few good options at either end of the glen, making it easy to explore the entire area:

East Lodge Monzie – Stay in an old gatehouse, that looks like a mini castle, with two large double bedrooms!

Mil House Monzie – This is beautiful Bed & Breakfast set in a fantastic area near the Sma’ Glen.

Burnside Cottage – Perfect for a cosy getaway for two, surrounded by nature.

Corriemuckloch Unique Huts – Pods for couples in a beautiful location with hot tubs to enjoy!

Tulchan Lodge – For large groups, this lodge sleeps up to 16 people!

If this journey through the Sma’ Glen has caught your interest, how about visiting on a bespoke Scotland’s Stories Tour?

Just click this link to make an enquiry and book your private driving tour today!