Isle Maree facts for kids
Isle Maree (which is Eilean Maolruibhe in Gaelic) is a small island located in Loch Maree, Scotland. It's a place with a long and interesting history.
On the island, you can find the remains of an old chapel and a graveyard. There's also a special well and a holy tree. People believe these are part of an 8th-century hermitage. A hermitage is a quiet place where a religious person, like a monk, lives alone. This one belonged to Saint Maol Rubha, who lived around 722 AD. He also started a monastery in a place called Applecross in 672 AD.
The island is home to very old oak and holly trees. These types of trees are not found on the other islands in the loch. For a long time, people believed the water in Loch Maree could heal sickness. Even in the 1700s, some thought that being pulled around the island by a boat could cure mental illness. In the old graveyard, you can still see two stone carvings of crosses. These carvings are thought to be from the 8th century. A local tradition says you should never take anything from the island, not even a small stone. People believe that if you do, the sickness that was once cured there might return.
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Old Traditions and Beliefs
In the 1600s, church leaders from Dingwall heard some unusual reports. People were performing old rituals on an island in Loch Maree. These rituals seemed to come from ancient, pre-Christian beliefs. They were linked to the memory of Saint Maol Rubha, but also to an older god called 'God Mourie'.
One of these old traditions involved sacrificing bulls. This happened openly until the 1700s. The part of the shore next to the island is even called Creag nan Tarbh in Gaelic. This means 'Cliff of the Bull', which reminds us of these ancient rituals.
The Famous Wish Tree
What is a Wish Tree?
On Isle Maree, there is a special oak wish tree. A wish tree is a tree where people place items, often coins, to make wishes. This particular tree became very famous after Queen Victoria visited the island in 1877. She even wrote about it in her published diaries.
Coins and the Tree's Fate
The wish tree, and other trees nearby, are covered with coins hammered into their bark. The original wish tree is now very old and decayed. It died many years ago because of copper poisoning from all the coins. This famous tree is close to the healing well of St Maree. People used to leave offerings at this well to show their respect or ask for healing.
