Guided Walk – St Latiaran of Cullen

🥾 Walking Tour: In the Footsteps of Latiaran – A Gothic Trail Through Cullen
Distance: ~2 miles
Time: ~1.5–2 hours at a gentle pace
Start/End: Cullen Old Kirk or Cullen Square
Best Time: Early morning or twilight for atmosphere
Ideal for: Lovers of folklore, photography, and local myth

 

🔥 Stop 1: Cullen Old Kirk (Church of St Mary)
Coordinates: NJ 512 672
Begin at the old church grounds—once the spiritual centre of Cullen. It’s believed this site held earlier chapels and perhaps Celtic worship sites before Christianity took hold.

🕯️ Legend Link: Local lore connects Saint Latiaran’s “holy well” to ancient sacred sites near churches like this. This may be where she once prayed… or cursed.

👉 Atmospheric Tip: Look for weathered gravestones shaped like Celtic crosses. Listen for wind through the yews.

 

🌿 Stop 2: The Wooded Hollow (behind Cullen House estate walls)
Follow the quiet lane east toward Cullen House. A small glen sits tucked behind the old estate wall—a shadowy, secluded place.

🕯️ Legend Link: Said to be the site of Latiaran’s stone cell. Pilgrims once crept here to ask blessings from the “beautiful witch-saint.” Moss-covered stones and still air abound.

👉 Reflection Tip: Bring a coin or rowan berry. Leave one at the base of the largest tree.

 

💧 Stop 3: Saint Latiaran’s Well (unmarked, near Cullen burn)
Nearby, by the burn (stream), locals whisper of a well with blackened water that never boils. It’s hidden near thick undergrowth.

🕯️ Legend Link: This is where the ember fell, scorching her ankle. Some say the ground here pulses faintly—especially near Lughnasa (August 1).

👉 Folklore Tip: Do not taste the water. Just… don’t.

 

🔨 Stop 4: The Ruined Forge (Market Lane, near Square)
Now enter town. In the oldest part of Cullen, find the remnants of what may have once been a smithy. A rusted horseshoe still hangs crooked on a beam.

🕯️ Legend Link: Here, Ruaridh the smith gave her the ember—and where the curse began. It’s said no fire stays lit in this ruin.

👉 Chill Factor: Stand quiet. Is it colder than elsewhere?

 

🌊 Stop 5: Cullen Viaduct & The Three Kings
Walk through Cullen’s iconic railway viaduct arches toward the beach. Ahead, you’ll see the Three Kings—rock stacks standing apart in the bay.

🕯️ Legend Link: These stones are believed to be cursed monarchs or priests who sought Latiaran’s power. The sea mutters secrets here.

👉 Photo Tip: Snap them at twilight—backlit and ominous.

 

🔥 Final Stop: Cullen Sands (Festival Fire Site)
Each Lughnasadh (end of July), the Cullen community gathers here for music, fire-leaping, and storytelling. Few remember the true reason.

🕯️ Legend Link: They say Latiaran walks the beach those nights. Barefoot, watching. Always watching.

👉 Timing Tip: Visit at dusk. Bring a candle—but don’t let it burn out.

 

🧭 Route Summary:
Cullen Old Kirk – Sacred beginnings

Wooded Hollow – Her hermitage

Unmarked Well – The burned place

Ruined Forge – Where fire failed

Three Kings – The stone sentinels

Cullen Sands – Where stories reignite