The Nine Maidens of the Well

"The legend of the dragon that ate the nine maidens of Strathmartine. The story is one of a peasant farmer of Pitempton – about 3 miles from Dundee – who had nine daughters. One summer evening he sent the eldest to a nearby well for water. She did not return and, one by one, he sent her remaining sisters after her.

Eventually, having run out of daughters, he armed himself and set out to see what had happened. At the well he found the mangled remains of his daughters and beside them an enormous serpent.

He fled only to return with a large band of neighbours, among them Martin, the lover of one of the girls. The crowd attacked and the dragon fled first to Baldragon, a marshy area about a quarter of a mile away. It was then chased on about two more miles until Martin attacked it single-handed. The crowd encouraged him with cries of 'Strike Martin' (the origin of the name Strathmartine).

Eventually the dragon was killed at Balkello. It is recorded as the last dragon to be killed in Scotland. There is a stone there bearing the outline of a serpent.

As an old rhyme says:

'Tempted at Pitempton

Draigled at Baldragon

Stricken at Strathmartine

And killed at Martin's Stane.'"

The picture has been taken in Dundee City Centre. Kids love to climb all over him - fierce as he looks. Other statues in the town centre include Desperate Dan and his dawg etc and can be viewd here Dundee Views