During the early reign of Queen Victoria, there lived a woman in Dollar called Margaret Drysdale. Her husband had been the factor at the Harviestoun Estate and when he died in 1843, she took on the job of looking after the home farm where they family had lived, while her son William succeeded to the factorship until the estate was sold. She had a number of animals that she cared for, but two of them, a nanny goat and a gander, had a special relationship. They were so attached to one another that when one was seen, the other was always by its side or at the very least nearby. The gander completely ignored his fellow geese that Mrs Drysdale had in her garden. Mrs Drysdale moved from the farm to Belville Cottage which lies slightly to the west of Dollar, and she was forced to give up her goat and the gander. She entrusted them to Alexander Henderson, the proprietor of Henderson’s Inn, later renamed the Castle Campbell Hotel, on Bridge Street. As before, when the two unlikely companions were seen, they were always together. One Sunday, the two decided they wanted to hear the sermon of the Rev. Craigie at the Parish Church in the village. Just as all the congregation had settled down to listen to him, who should walk in but the friends. So that they could hear the sermon more clearly, it appears they made their way towards the pulpit and even got as far as climbing up the steps to it.

The congregation found the whole thing very funny, but the beadle was not so impressed by the animals’ shenanigans. He did not know what to do as the gander was known to be of a ‘very pugnacious disposition and resented at once the slightest interference with his companion.’ Any attempt to remove the goat would have been ‘sheer madness.’

However, one of those among the congregation was William Drysdale, Mrs Drysdale’s son. He rose from his seat and called the goat by her name and told her to follow him. Recognising her old master’s voice immediately, she obeyed, and the goat and the gander walked out of the church slowly, much to the relief of the beadle.

What ever happened to the two friends is unknown but perhaps they lived to a ripe old age in the care of Mr Henderson. What is known is that they never attended a Sunday service again.

As for Mrs Drysdale, she died in 1866.