Several legends have been passed down over time regarding the Maiden's Well near Castle Campbell (also once known as Castle Gloom) just outside Dollar.
Maiden's Well
The daughter of a Scots King was once imprisoned at Castle Campbell, so says the legend. This was the punishment for falling in love with the “wrong” man. Her father deemed her “love” was beneath her station and so to Castle Campbell she was sent.
To pass her time she would name features of the surrounding countryside with names to reflect her misery and so came about the Burn of Care and the Burn of Sorrow, both of which plunge over waterfalls on their way to become Dollar Burn which tumbles through the village.
Cadger's Gate, the old road on which livestock was once driven, passes through the Glen of Care, closely following the burn and into Glen Quay on its route to Glendevon. Just over one and a half miles from Castle Campbell, there is a deep narrow pass between Hillfoot Hill and Whitewisp. A small deep spring is passed here, this is known as the Maiden's Well as it is said the poor young maiden imprisoned in Castle Campbell was allowed to walk here and drink from the spring.
Spirit of Maiden's Well
On the 21st birthday of Edwin, the striking, athletic and very accomplished son of Ranald, Chieftan of Clan McCallum, the doors to the great halls of Castle Campbell were thrown open and everyone was welcomed in for a great feast.
As the evening drew on, many started conversing about the Maiden's Well and of the water spirit that apparently haunted it. It was said that when called the spirit would appear as a beautiful young maiden formed from a thin smoke like vapour.
Edwin, very much in a drunken state, pronounced he was not afraid of a water spirit, and he would go and capture it and return to the castle with it or die trying to. He set out on the short walk to the well and arrived at midnight. Standing at the edge of the well in the dark and silence of the night he called upon the spirit to appear, but she failed to do so. He tried again to call on her to come to him but again he was ignored. On the third attempt he was much more forceful and demanded her presence, the spirit gradually appeared. She was dressed in flowing robes which dazzled the eyes and her long locks of hair cascaded across her body.
As she rose, she gave Edwin an alluring look, but Edwin reached for his sword in fear. However, he found he was unable to move and had become paralysed on the spot. As he stood looking at the spirit, he felt all of his energy and strength drain out of his body. Eventually once totally drained he fell into the water dead; the spirit then took his body to the very bottom of the well for it never to be seen again.
Maiden's Castle
It is said that the water spirit of the Maiden's well protects the Maiden's Castle, which appears as a round hillock just a few feet away from the pass between the Glens of Care and Quey. Sadly, it is believed a castle never stood there. However local folklore says that instead of Maiden's Castle, this spot is the home of one of the Ochil Hill's many Fairy Castles.
The Lost Piper
Late one night along the track between Glendevon and Dollar, a piper travelled through the dark and eerie landscape. As he approached the Maiden's Well, he heard music from the direction of the dark pass which he had just walked through.
On turning around, he saw the bright lights of a great castle from where the loud sounds of great festivities could be heard. As the young piper stood transfixed, he watched as a troop of castle guards approached him. Before he realised what was happening, they had captured him, and he was escorted back towards the grand castle. He was taken into the great hall where a huge feast was underway. The piper was told that if he played them a tune then the fairies would let him go.
So, the piper played his favourite tune for all the fairies and as he played the final note, he found himself back by the maiden's well. Sure he had been inside the castle for many an hour, he decided that he shouldn't continue on to Dollar and turned and headed home to Glendevon.
On arriving back to his father's house, he found it full of strangers. So he sat by the warm fire and told these folks the tale of his strange night. An old man sitting by the fire looked strangely upon the piper, he started telling him a tale he heard when just a boy and the feet of his father. The sad story of a piper boy who went from Glendevon to Dollar to never be seen again.
To the young pipers shock he soon discovered he had been in the fairy castle for one hundred years.