The MacNab Burial Ground Nobody Is Allowed to Enter

Stand on the bridge at the centre of Killin and look down into the river. The Falls of Dochart rush past on both sides of a small island. On that island, there are graves. They belong to the MacNab clan, and they have been there for centuries. The island is called Inchbuie, and it is not open to the public. It never has been. It never will be.

The MacNab family still owns the land. They still bury their dead there. And you can stand two metres away on a public bridge and look straight at it.

That is Scotland.

What Is Inchbuie?

Inchbuie is a small island in the River Dochart, which runs through the village of Killin in Stirlingshire. The river splits around the island to form the Falls of Dochart — a series of wide, rushing cascades that are one of the most photographed spots in the Scottish Highlands.

The island itself is covered in trees and overgrowth. It is not large. On it sits the burial ground of the MacNab clan, enclosed by an iron railing. The graves are old. Some date back several hundred years. The inscriptions on the stones have been worn smooth by the weather.

There is no gate you can open. There is no ticket to buy. There is no heritage interpretation board explaining what you are looking at. It is simply there, surrounded by moving water, as it has always been.

Who Were the MacNabs?

The MacNab clan takes its name from the Gaelic Mac an Aba, meaning “son of the abbot.” The family were hereditary abbots of the monastery at Killin, and their roots in this part of Perthshire go back to at least the 12th century.

For most of their history, the MacNabs were a relatively minor Highland clan — present at many of the conflicts that shaped Scotland, but never among the most powerful families in the land. Their position in Killin was central to their identity. The land, the river, the island: these were theirs.

The most well-known chief of the clan was Finlay MacNab, known as “the last MacNab,” who sold the family estates in the early 19th century and emigrated to Canada. He eventually settled in Ontario, where he founded the town of McNab. He is buried there, not on Inchbuie.

Despite the loss of the estates, the burial ground on Inchbuie has remained in family hands. The MacNab chiefs have continued to be interred there. It is one of the few surviving private clan burial grounds in Scotland that is still actively used.

The current clan chief is the 23rd MacNab of MacNab.

The Falls of Dochart

The Falls of Dochart are not a single waterfall. They are a stretch of the River Dochart where the water drops over a series of wide, rocky ledges as it passes through the centre of Killin. The result is a broad, churning rapid that fills the air with noise and mist when the river is running high.

The bridge over the falls is one of the best viewpoints, and also the easiest to reach — it sits right on the A827, the main road through the village. Most visitors stop here instinctively, drawn by the sound and the sight of the water. It is only when you look more carefully that you notice the island and what is on it.

The falls look different depending on the season. In late autumn and winter, when the rain has been heavy in the hills, the river runs fast and the falls are dramatic. In summer, the water level drops, the rocks are more visible, and the falls are gentler. Either way, Inchbuie sits at the centre of it all, unchanged.

There is a car park near the bridge, and the viewing area is free. You can walk along the riverbank on the Killin side and look across at the island from different angles. The iron railing around the burial ground is clearly visible from the bank.

Killin: What Else to See

Killin is a small village at the western end of Loch Tay, about 45 minutes from Callander and just over an hour from Stirling. It has a population of around 700 people. It is not a busy tourist town, which is part of what makes it worth visiting.

The village has a handful of places to eat and drink, a small supermarket, and a local heritage centre run by volunteers that covers the history of the area including the MacNab clan. The heritage centre is worth a visit if it is open — check local listings before you go, as hours vary.

Loch Tay stretches east from the village for about 24 kilometres. The loch is deep and cold, and the hills around it rise steeply on both sides. Ben Lawers, at 1,214 metres, is one of the highest mountains in Scotland outside the Cairngorms and Nevis range. It sits on the north side of the loch and is accessible from a car park off the B827.

For those who prefer lower ground, the Rob Roy Way long-distance walking route passes through Killin. The route runs from Drymen to Pitlochry, covering about 130 kilometres in total. The section around Killin follows the river and loch shore and is suitable for most walkers.

Getting to Killin

Killin sits at the junction of the A827 and the A85. From Stirling, take the A84 north to Lochearnhead, then the A85 west to Crianlarich and the A82 south — or take the more direct A84 to Lochearnhead and then the A85 west. From Perth, the A9 south to the A822 and then the A827 west is a reasonable route. From Glasgow, the A82 north through Loch Lomond and then east at Crianlarich is the most common approach.

There is no train station in Killin — the nearest are at Crianlarich (about 18 miles) and Pitlochry (about 30 miles). A bus service connects Killin to Stirling, though services are limited. Most visitors arrive by car.

The village has parking near the falls and along the main street. In summer, the car park by the falls fills quickly on weekends, so arriving in the morning gives you a better chance of a space.

Why Scottish History Stays Visible

What is unusual about Inchbuie is not that it exists. Private burial grounds are not rare in Scotland. Clan chiefs, landowners, and religious communities have maintained private burial sites for centuries. What is unusual is how visible it is.

There is no fence around the village, no wall, no barrier between the public road and the ancient burial ground of a clan that has been here for eight hundred years. You drive through Killin on a main road, and there it is: the island, the graves, the river, the history.

Scotland does not always put its history in museums. Much of it is simply out in the open — standing stones in the middle of farmland, ruined towers on the edge of cliffs, clan burial grounds in the middle of rivers. You are not always meant to enter. Sometimes you are just meant to notice.

That is what makes stopping in Killin worth your time. You do not need to know the full history of the MacNab clan to feel the weight of what you are looking at. You just need to look.

Practical Information

• Location: Falls of Dochart, Main Street, Killin, Stirlingshire, FK21 8TP
• Access: The bridge and riverbank are free and open to the public. Inchbuie island is private and not accessible.
• Best time to visit: Year-round. The falls are most dramatic after heavy rain in autumn and winter.
• Parking: Car park near the falls (small charge may apply in summer). Additional street parking on Main Street.
• Facilities: Cafés and a pub in the village. Public toilets near the car park.
• Combined with: Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve (5 miles east), Loch Tay, Kenmore village (16 miles east).

Photo credit: PP Archive