lmally, Argyleshire. St. Conan's Fair is held
at Glenorchy, Perthshire, but this seems to relate to another saint
of like name, as its date is the third Wednesday in March and our
saint was venerated on January 26th, as the best authorities
testify.

28--St. Nathalan or Nauchlan, Bishop, A.D. 678.

This saint was born of a noble Scottish family at Tullich,
Aberdeenshire. From his youth he was distinguished for great piety,
and spent {11} much of his time in manual labour in the fields as a
voluntary mortification and a means of subduing the passions. Many
miracles are related of him. It is said that having given away all
his corn in time of famine, he caused the fields to be sown with
sand for lack of grain, and was rewarded by a plentiful harvest.
Having given way to murmuring in a moment of impatience he imposed
upon himself the penance of making a pilgrimage to Rome, wearing on
his leg a heavy chain; this he fastened by a padlock and threw the
key into the Dee at a place now known as "The Pool of the Key." He
is said to have bought a fish for food in Rome and to have found
the key in its stomach; this he took for a supernatural intimation
to discontinue his self-inflicted mortification.

Being made bishop by the Pope, he returned to his native land as an
apostle of the Faith. He built in Deeside several churches at his
own expense; one of these was at his native place, Tullich, where a
huge slab of granite, sculptured with an antique cross, forms the
top lintel of one of the doors of the ancient church, and is
thought to have been a portion {12} of the saint's tomb. St.
Nathalan is said to have visited Ireland, and to have founded the
monastery of Dungiven in Ulster. He died at a very advanced age at
Tullich, on January 8th, 678. He became the patron saint of
Deeside, and traces of his _cultus_ still remain in that district.
Long after Protestants had lost sight of the reason for it, an
annual holiday was held on his feast day, no work being allowed to
be done. A market was formerly held at Old Meldrum on or near this
day, called "St. Nathalan's Fair," and another at Cowie,
Kincardineshire. The ancient name of Meldrum was Bothelney, a
corruption of Bothnethalen, which signifies "habitation of
Nathalan." Near the ruins of the old church is still to be seen
"Nauchlan's Well." A quaint local rhyme preserves his memory at
Cowie:

"Atween the kirk and the kirk ford
There lies St. Nauchlan's hoard."

The fea