Smuggler's Rest

Smuggler Philip Kennedy is buried in Slains kirkyard which overlooks Collieston, a village once notorious for smuggling goods such as gin and tobacco. Kennedy met his end on the night of 19th December 1798 when he was involved in a smuggling operation bringing Holland gin ashore. The smugglers were betrayed to the excise men. In a struggle with the excise men Kennedy received a blow to the head from an excise man's cutlass. His dying words which are are said to have been, '' If a had been as true as me the prize wid a been safe and I widna a been bleeding to death:.