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St Brigid’s Cross on Arran

Amanda Moffet — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:05:28 +0000

Christ emerging from a chalice

We found out later that the cross was actually discovered on Holy Island (an island which is now owned by Buddists and used as a retreat). A tenant of a farm on Holy Island removed the cross from his land sometime in the 1850s or 1860s and buried it for reasons unknown in Kilbride graveyard. It was discovered in 1896, and at some point transferred to its present location. It was being referred to as ‘St Brigid’s Cross and states’, for no obvious reason, other than it stood at Cnoc na Croise on the putative Pilgrim’s Way, and marked the point where pilgrims from the west of the island saw Holy Island for the first time.

Close-up of the cross

Below the cross is a hollowed-out stone, long believed to be a font, but probably just a mortar.

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Giants Grave on Arran

Amanda Moffet — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 15:36:46 +0000

A very grey rainy day, we thought we’d take a walk up to The Giants Grave, a Neolithic burial chamber on the hill above Whiting Bay.

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The man who escaped a hanging, a tale from Arran

Amanda Moffet — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 17:58:25 +0000

While camping on the Isle of Arran we visited Brodick Castle which is on the east coast of the island. A castle owned mainly by the Hamiltons, it was used recently as a hunting lodge. In front of the castle, right by the cafe stands a small wooden house with a Heather roof. It’s very easy to miss, but the location of this little ‘Heather House’ has an interesting story.

A local craftsman built the ‘Heather House’ in 1984-85. It sits on the probable site of the Hanging Tree, where tradition tells us the castle stocks were set.

One story goes that a man with a deformed foot and using a crutch was to be hanged for stealing sheep. When the time came, time came, the man pleaded to be allowed to take three strides before entering the spirit world – one for the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. On being granted the request he took three long strides, threw away the crutch and kept going …

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Lochranza Castle

Amanda Moffet — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:46:30 +0000

Lochranza Castle

Lochranza Castle on Arran was built in the 13th century. It passed to the Stewarts of Menteith and became a royal castle when Robert Stewart became King in 1371. In the 1450s the Tower House was granted to the Montgomeries. They held the castle for the next 250 years.

In the 16th Century the castle’s owner decided to modernise it. Two new storeys and a tower provided extra room. The old spacious interior was subdivided into smaller more private, family-orientated chambers. Gone were the days when a laird had to greet all his vassals in one vast hall.

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