Holy Island On Visit To The Firth of Clyde Off The West Coast Of Central Scotland

Tour Scotland travel video, with Scottish music, of the Holy Island or Holy Isle, Scottish Gaelic: Eilean MoLaise, on ancestry, genealogy, family history visit to the Firth of Clyde, off the west coast. The island has a long history as a sacred site, with a spring or holy well held to have healing properties, the hermit cave of 6th century monk Saint Molaise, and evidence of a 13th century monastery. An old Gaelic name for the island was Eilean MoLaise, Molaise's Island; this is the origin, via Elmolaise and Limolas, of Lamlash, the name of the village on Arran that faces Holy Island. Some runic writing is to be found on the roof of St Molaise's cave and a Viking fleet sheltered between Arran and Holy Isle before the Battle of Largs. The inner lighthouse stands on the south west corner of the island opposite Kingscross Point on Arran. It is one of two lighthouses, that make up a pair the other being the Holy Island Outer Light. It is locally known as Wee Donald. It was built in 1877 by David and Thomas Stevenson. The lighthouse cottages were built behind to house four families of lighthouse keepers and a walled garden was made. Saint Molaise lived from 566 until 640. He was an Irish monk and bishop who a number of years as a hermit living on Holy Island, off the east coast of the Isle of Arran. During his life he also visited Rome, and he is credited with bringing to Ireland the Roman Church's method of calculating the date of Easter. Molaise was the son of Cairell, the king of Ulster, and the Scottish princess Gemma. On his father's death he declined the chance to succeed him as king, and instead turned to the life of a hermit in a cave on what became known after him as Eilean Molaise, and is now called Holy Island, off the east coast of the Isle of Arran. It is thought that Molaise chose this location because the island already had a reputation as a spiritual place, which in his day may have been known as Inis Shroin, or Island of the Water Spirit. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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