James Stewart Memorial

The memorial sits quietly beside the main road into Killin, easy to miss if you're not looking for it. This modest stone cairn marks where James Stewart was executed in 1752 - a focal point in one of Scotland's most contentious historical episodes. He was accused of involvement in the Appin Murder, a killing that divided the Highlands and exposed the fault lines between English law and Jacobite loyalties.

It's a stop for history buffs rather than casual tourists. You'll spend ten minutes here maximum, reading the inscription and taking in the bleak moorland setting. The location itself tells you something - remote, windswept, the kind of place where justice felt arbitrary. There's no visitor centre, no interpretation boards beyond the stone itself, which means you either know the story beforehand or you're left guessing.

If you're staying at Loch Tay Highland Lodges a short drive away, it's worth the detour on your way through Killin. Pair it with a walk around the town itself - the Falls of Dochart are genuinely impressive - or use it as a pretext to explore the Appin area properly. Families won't get much from it unless the older kids are studying Scottish history. The real value is in what the memorial represents rather than what you actually see.