The statue of 'Our Lady of The Isles' by Hew Lorimer on the side of Rueval in South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland
On the western slope of Rueval, known as the Hill of the Miracles, stands the 30ft granite statue of ‘Our Lady of the Isles’, by the artist Hew Lorimer. The ordinary word for Mary is "Mairi" but this word is never used to denote the Virgin Mary. Her special place in the lives and culture of the people demands a special name. On the lips of many Gaelic speakers today can be regularly heard the phrase "A Mhoire" (By Mary). Innumerable blessings, hymns, religious songs, legends, and pious customs relating to "Moire Mhin Mhathar" (Sweet Mother Mary) form the great majority of all the collected material of Gaelic folklore in the Isles. Mary's name is to be found in connection with plants, nuts, birds, and the sea itself, called "cuilidh Moire" (Mary's Treasury). All of life was permeated by devotion to the Blessed Virgin: "safe delivery" into the world was attributed to her protection as was "safe passage" to the world to come.
Size: 3860px × 5604px
Location: Lady of the Isles Statue, Geirinis, South Uist Outer Hebrides, Western Isles. Scotland
Photo credit: © Ian Rutherford / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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