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Eigg, St Catherine's Well
Well (Medieval)
Site Name Eigg, St Catherine's Well
Classification Well (Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) Grulin Iochdrach
Canmore ID 22172
Site Number NM48SE 10
NGR NM 45 84
NGR Description NM c. 45 84
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/22172
- Council Highland
- Parish Small Isles
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Lochaber
- Former County Inverness-shire
NM48SE 10 c. 45 84
Possibly on map sheets NM48NW, or NM48SW.
St Catherine's Well, believed in Martin's day to be a 'catholicon for diseases' and very lately reputed good for the falling sickness, but of which the neighbours were afraid to drink for fear of catching the ailment of which the sick had been cured, from the water, is situated a mile W of Toper na Beanmha (NM48SE 19).
N MacPherson 1878
St Catherine's Well on the S coast of Eigg was a healing well for all kinds of diseases. The priest, Father Hugh, who dedicated the well, 'obliged all the inhabitants to come to this well, and then employed them to bring together a great heap of stones at the head of the spring by way of penance....'
J M Mackinlay 1893
The precise location of this well is not known locally, but it is believed to be in Grulin (name: NM 45 84).
Visited by OS (AA), 9 May 1972
Note (March 2010)
The source for McKinlay's notes (see previous entry) on this well is Martin, whose full description, published in 1703, is as follows:
'In the village on the south coast of this isle there is a well, called St Kathrine's Well, the natives have it in great esteem, and believe it to be a catholicon for diseases. They told me that it had been such ever since it was consecrated by one Father Hugh, a popish priest, in the following manner. He obliged all the inhabitants to come to this well, and then imploy'd them to bring together a great heap of stones at the head of the spring, by way of penance; this being done, he said mass at the well, and then consecrated it; he gave each of the inhabitants a piece of wax candle, which they lighted, and all of them made the dessil, of going round the well sunways, the priest leading them; and from that time it was accounted unlawful to boil any meat with the water of this well.
'The natives observe St Kathrine's anniversary, all of them come to the well, and having drunk a draught of it, they make the dessil round it sunways; this is always performed on the 15th day of April.'
MacPherson's note that St Catherine's Well was a mile to the W of Toper na Beanmha (NM48SE 19), which itself lay close to Cross Moraig (NM48SE 3), places it within the township of Grulin Iochdrach (NM48NW1), but its precise location is not known.
Information from RCAHMS (SDB) March 2010
Martin 1703 (1994 edn, 303)
MacPherson (1878)
McKinlay (1893)
