Through the centre of Staffin runs the Kilmartin River, once noted for its salmon and its pearl-bearing mussels. Near the river is old Kilmartin cemetery that is sited where once stood a chapel dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours. A local story of how the cemetery was sited here is worth a mention.

In the late eighteenth century there was occasion for a new burial ground to be set out for the area and the landlord of the time allocated a piece of land for the purpose on the slope above the river, known as Garafad. Men were engaged to enclose the ground by drystone dyke and soon they took up their work and began to lay the foundations of the wall. When night fell they left their picks and shovels tidily beside their labours and proceeded home.

Next morning they arrived at Garafad to find their work undone and their tools missing. They were later found on the riverbank beside the ruins of Saint Martin's Chapel. The men duly recovered the tools and set to work again. That night they went home and left their tools at Garafad as before, but when they arrived the following morning they found to their amazement that the same strange occurrence had taken place.

At last the workers were advised to keep an all night vigil at Garafad and this they did, but to their astonishment nothing stirred the quiet of the night and no-one came their way. In the morning however the tools were missing again and their work undone. They could not understand the strange happening and they did not wish to disclose it in case of being ridiculed by their fellows.

Ultimately they sought the confidence and advice of a minister who advised them to abandon their place of work and to seek the landlord's permission to lay out the new burial ground on the spot where the tools were found each morning. This they did and, as soon as the work was begun at Kilmartin, no interference was encountered and their work prospered.