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In the beautiful and historic village of Doune is a small pistol factory. Doune is just 8 miles from Stirling, which was the capital of the country during the reign of the Stuarts. The Stirlings of Keir estate is just up the hill to the east  from Doune. In the 17th century Doune was an intersection of the routes used for droving of highland cattle from the Highlands to the markets in Stirling and beyond. In those days, its streets were packed with swaggering Highlanders eager to buy shoes, sporrans and firearms, and to enjoy a "wee-bit-of-the-drop". During the early 17th Century, fireams were reasonably turned out by Continental gunsmiths, and Scotland was no different. This was to change after 1646 when a certain Thomas Caddell, perhaps a refugee Fleming, arrived in Doune from Muthill, further north in Perthshire, and set up business as a gunsmith. Fleming developed his own method of construction, similar to that used by Vikings almost 700 years before. The end result was an uniquely Scottish, all-steel pistol some 14 inches long that flowed from a Ramshorn butt to the slight, subtle flaring of the muzzle. The emgravings chiselled into the metal are a curious mixture of Celtic and Oriental design, and have a poetic power of expression. Caddell designed the pistols initially for the quick-tempered Highlanders and for this reason they had no trigger guard or safety catch. The weapons fired a half-inch lead ball with deadly accuracy and were sold in pairs fashioned for left or right hand use. They were made for rough conditions and the centre knob of the butt could be unscrewed to act as a pricker for the touch hole, the latter being able to hold the varying sizes of flint that might be picked up in a Highland burn. The cost was £4 a pair, a fortune to the average Highlander. Doune pistols became renowned and more expensive models, costing fifty guineas, were ordered by the nobility. In 1745 the Highland army of Prince Charles Edward Stuart passed through Doune on its way south. The subsequent crushing of the '45 Uprising and the passing of the Disarmament Act signalled the end of the traditional market for firearms. Doune pistols were the finest gift one head of state could bestow on another. Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick had a pair, as had William, Duke of Cumberland. A superb medallion encrusted pair was given to Lord Cornwallis by George III, and such presentation pieces can be identified by the decoration being "applied" to the guns rather than being part of them. Doune pistols are now displayed in almost every museum in Europe, marking the route of the Scots mercenaries, and the oldest such weapon is one of 1678, made by Thomas Caddell, in the Neuchatel Museum in Switzerland. The finest of all is the gold encrusted pair in the Armoury of Windsor Castle whose silver stock is engraved "Totum Hoc Opus Sua Manus Perfecit Joannes Christie". These were probably made for George III around 1760. Doune pistols have featured greatly in history. The Earl of Argyle was carrying a pair when he was captured crossing the river Cart in 1685. It was a Doune pistol, sold to a Major Pitcairn, which fired the first shot in the American War of Independence. George Washington's staff presented him with a pair of Doune pistols that he bequeathed on his death to Major General Lafayette. Caddell's old workshop is still standing in Doune. It is occupied by FSS Group who from such historic surroundings provide Facilities Management and Information Technology support to business across the UK. Nearby, the graves of generations of pistol makers lie in the ancient graveyard of Kilmadock. The beauty of the guns they created lives on and anyone fortunate to have one and perhaps read on the plaque "Jno. Campbell Duni Fecit" - made by John Campbell in Doune - has indeed found a treasure.
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