Chapman's Graves Today

The Chapmen's Graves in the Kilsyth hills.

"A Chapman or packman was an itinerant trader who would visit householders selling wares or services and, in the days before supermarkets, they were hugely important to the running of households.

The route is known as the Chapman's Road because the graves of two Chapmen or pedlars are located to the west of the summit of Tomtain.

The story goes that one of the two Chapmen murdered the other and was later executed and buried next to his victim. This may be true, but interestingly it does follow a trend of stories where Packmen or Chapmen are murdered. In any case, it certainly implies that this path was used by traders.

It is not clear why Chapmen would be using a route parallel to the Tak Ma Doon but it may be because they were trying to visit all of the hill farms to sell their wares. The Tak Ma Doon is also a very old road linking Stirling with Kilsyth and this may have been tolled at one time but there is no evidence of tolls on the Tak Ma Doon road so far."