Killin is notable as a historically important part of the Gaidhealtachd of Perthshire and a centre of wildlife and adventure tourism.

In July 2023, Killin was voted one of the most desirable locations to live and visit in Scotland, owing to its significant history, setting and facilities by Planetware.com, an expert travel website.

[2] A recent analysis (July 2021) by a leading mental health life insurance provider identified Killin as the second-best holiday destination for wellness in the United Kingdom.

[3] The west end of the village is magnificently sited around the scenic Falls of Dochart (Scottish Gaelic: Eas Dochard).

The A827 provides road access from the South and West, with travel times from the main Scottish cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow of approximately 90 minutes.

The name Killin (Cill Fhinn), is Gaelic and reflects the predominant language of the area for most of recorded history.

The latter interpretation links to local legend that Fingal, the mythical hero of the Ossian saga, is buried in the hills overlooking the village.

For a period in history Killin was one of the front lines in the wars between the original Picts people of Highland Scotland and the invading Gaels from Ireland, prior to them becoming united under Kenneth MacAlpin.

Flax was grown locally, spun in small mills and woven into linen by home based weavers.

In addition to walking on Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve, fishing for trout and salmon there are various watersports available on Loch Tay.

Nearby Glen Lochay is the location to which Richard Hannay, played by Robert Donat, heads in the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock's film The 39 Steps.

There were also many stories of people with supernatural powers such as witches or those with An Dà Shealladh (the second sight) who could foresee future events - the most famous of which was Am Ban-Tighearna Labhar (The Lady of Lawers).

Halloween was always celebrated with teintean-aighir (bonfires) which were lit in Coire nam Bonnach, just above the village, where there was dancing and merryment.

There were Gìsearan (Guisers) who would visit people's homes to perform poems, jokes or songs and be given gifts of money or food.

The broader parish of Killin recorded over 1,100 Gaelic speakers living locally at this time, representing 78.5% of the total area population, 5.05% of which (56) where monolingual Gaels.

Although the Perthshire dialect of Gaelic is considered to be effectively extinct, surviving elderly speakers have recently been identified.

This is in contrast to the provision in neighbouring Perth and Kinross Council, such as the weekly Gaelic lessons at Glen Lyon primary school, close to Killin, and full GME at Breadalbane Academy in nearby Aberfledy.

The last known native speaker of Perthshire Gaelic, Elizabeth Christina McDiarmaid (originally of nearby Lawyers), died at 92 years old in April 2024 at the Falls of Dochart Care Home in Killin.

The Killin News is a free community newspaper issued every 2 months and available by subscription or to be found in local shops and businesses.

Common day trips to places such as Oban and Glencoe in the Highlands, the market towns of Aberfeldy and Crieff, as well as the lowland urban centres of Glasgow, Stirling, Perth, Dundee and Edinburgh are all within a short distance by car.