THE ancient burgh of Tain in Easter Ross is planning to have a

#300,000 visitor attraction ready for next year's tourist season. It

will centre around a mysterious Saint and a Scottish King's pilgrimages

to worship at his shrine.

The King was James IV, who used to stop off to see his mistress on his

way to Tain, and the Saint, St Duthac, or St Duthus as he came to be

styled in the nineteenth century, when the fashion was to Latinise.

St Duthac was thought to have been born in Tain around 1000AD, the

first named native of that town. It is possible, however, that he was

born in another century altogether.

Nothing was written about his life and it is not even known who is

parents were. His death -- if it was his -- was recorded in the

ecclesiastical centre of Armagh in 1065.

For the most part, however, we have to rely on the folklore collecting

activities of William Elphinstone at least 400 years later. Elphinstone

was to become the Bishop of Aberdeen and, in 1496, founder of the city's

King's College.

Bishop Elphinstone lent his support to a story of a Duthac miracle

which tells of how, as a boy, Duthac was sent for some fire. The smith,

having an unusual sense of humour, was said to have taken the glowing

coals and pushed them into Duthac's lap. Such were his powers, he

carried them to his master without damage or hurt.

Apart from his powers, it was his godliness which seemed to mark

Duthac out for special mention and ensure that Tain became a religious

centre in his memory. This is what appears to have attracted King James

IV who, according to Tain historians R W and Jean Munro, appears to have

visited Tain 18 times.

He went first at the age of 21, perhaps still blaming himself for his

father James III's death five years earlier. His last visit was in

August 1513, a month before he fell on Flodden's field.

James travelled to Tain by way of Aberdeen, taking him through

Darnaway in Moray. One Mistress Kennedy lived there and, it is now

thought, looked after the King's physical needs while the holy men of

Tain tended to his spiritual requirements.

The Tain Pilgrimage Centre is to be created in the grounds of the

medieval St Duthus Church, and is being funded by Ross and Cromarty

District Council, the Tain Common Good Fund, and Ross and Cromarty

Enterprise.