The name Gillies Hill may come from the tale of Robert the Bruce's camp-followers, who before the second day of the battle were ordered to wait in the safety of forest cover within sight the battle. According to John Barbour, an early Scottish poet writing in 1375, these sma' folk were called down by The Bruce from the Borestone where he had raised his standard, late on the second day of the battle at a crucial stage. The sma' folk descended the slopes of a hill yelling, banging pots and pans, and waiving pieces of clothing in the air at which point the English troops thinking the newcomers were reinforcements, fled. Barbour does not mention any hill by name, hence the attribution of this event to Gillies Hill is uncertain. Modern historical analysis most commonly proposes Coxet Hill, adjacent to St Ninians, as the location of the events Barbour describes.