Wolfhill
Encyclopedia
Wolfhill is a small Hamlet in Perthshire
with a population of 316 (2001 Census). Formerly known as Carolina, it was given the nickname of "Snipetown" many years ago by locals, owing to the high numbers of snipe
s that used to inhabit the area.
The Hamlet is near the source of the Burrelton Burn and lies between the Sidlaw Hills
and the River Tay
, 2 miles (3 km) north east of Guildtown and 7 miles (11 km) north-east of Perth
.
In close proximity to Wolfhill are many examples of pre-historic standing stone
s. One of the best-known sites in folklore is "The Witches' Stane" located between Wolfhill and St Martins. According to local legend, this was the stone to which Macbeth
's witches were chained, and it does indeed bear chain marks! "MacBeth's Castle" (actually the ruin of a Roman fort
) can be found at the nearby village of Collace, near the Council Quarry on the Sidlaws.
There are varying stories on how the village got its name, one being that the "Wolf of Badenoch"(Alexander Stewart, the Earl of Buchan) camped there before going to Perth in the 14th century to be officially forgiven by the church for his evil ways. He is buried at Dunkeld Cathedral in a statuesque cask. It is also said that the last wolf in Scotland was killed in Wolfhill but many other villages across the country lay claim to the same interesting story. There is no doubt that wolves certainly did inhabit the area at one time. The monks of nearby Coupar Angus Abbey
, who formerly owned the land, stipulated in certain mid-16th-century lease
agreements recorded in the document known today as the Rent Book of Coupar-Angus Abbey (Rogers 1880; pages 251, 262) that tenants were required to "... sustene and nwrice ane leche of hundis for tod and wolf.." – that is to say, "...sustain and nourish a leash of hounds for (hunting) fox and wolf..".
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
with a population of 316 (2001 Census). Formerly known as Carolina, it was given the nickname of "Snipetown" many years ago by locals, owing to the high numbers of snipe
Snipe
A snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the...
s that used to inhabit the area.
The Hamlet is near the source of the Burrelton Burn and lies between the Sidlaw Hills
Sidlaw Hills
The Sidlaws are a range of hills of volcanic origin in the counties of Perthshire and Angus in Scotland that extend for 30 miles from Kinnoull Hill, near Perth, northeast to Forfar. Law is a Lowland Scots word of Old English origin meaning a hill which rises sharply from the surrounding land...
and the River Tay
River Tay
The River Tay is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui , then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochhart, Loch Lubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay , in...
, 2 miles (3 km) north east of Guildtown and 7 miles (11 km) north-east of Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
.
In close proximity to Wolfhill are many examples of pre-historic standing stone
Standing stone
Standing stones, orthostats, liths, or more commonly megaliths are solitary stones set vertically in the ground and come in many different varieties....
s. One of the best-known sites in folklore is "The Witches' Stane" located between Wolfhill and St Martins. According to local legend, this was the stone to which Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
's witches were chained, and it does indeed bear chain marks! "MacBeth's Castle" (actually the ruin of a Roman fort
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
) can be found at the nearby village of Collace, near the Council Quarry on the Sidlaws.
There are varying stories on how the village got its name, one being that the "Wolf of Badenoch"(Alexander Stewart, the Earl of Buchan) camped there before going to Perth in the 14th century to be officially forgiven by the church for his evil ways. He is buried at Dunkeld Cathedral in a statuesque cask. It is also said that the last wolf in Scotland was killed in Wolfhill but many other villages across the country lay claim to the same interesting story. There is no doubt that wolves certainly did inhabit the area at one time. The monks of nearby Coupar Angus Abbey
Coupar Angus Abbey
Coupar Angus Abbey was a Cistercian monastery near Coupar Angus, in central Scotland, on the boundary between Angus and Gowrie.It was founded on the old royal manor of Coupar in 1161 x 1162 with the patronage of Máel Coluim IV , King of Scots, by Cistercian monks from Melrose Abbey...
, who formerly owned the land, stipulated in certain mid-16th-century lease
Lease
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee to pay the lessor for use of an asset. A rental agreement is a lease in which the asset is tangible property...
agreements recorded in the document known today as the Rent Book of Coupar-Angus Abbey (Rogers 1880; pages 251, 262) that tenants were required to "... sustene and nwrice ane leche of hundis for tod and wolf.." – that is to say, "...sustain and nourish a leash of hounds for (hunting) fox and wolf..".