One of two cross-slabs in the burial enclosure on Isle Maree, Wester Ross, said to mark the graves of a Viking prince & his bride who died tragically.
One of two cross-slabs in the burial enclosure on Isle Maree, said to mark the graves of a Viking prince & his bride who died in tragic circumstances; the remains of their tower-house lie to the rear (W). Sacred isle of St Maelrubha (Maree) who may have supplanted the pagan Celtic deity Lugos. Monks & hermits lived on the isle. It became a burial ground & a mixture of Christian & pagan beliefs & practices, including bull sacrifice, Lughnasa celebrations, divination & lunacy cures, persisted openly into the C18th using the ruined chapel & altar, holy well & sacred oak. Queen Victoria popularized the practice of hammering coins into the Money Tree (killed by copper poisoning & ring-barking) beside the well which dried up after a shepherd attempted to cure his mad dog there. The island is part of a National Nature Reserve.
Size: 3712px × 4961px
Location: Viking Grave, Isle Maree, Loch Maree, Gairloch, Wester Ross, Highland, Scotland, UK
Photo credit: © Mick Sharp / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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