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Scotland
Arthur's SeatSacred Hill
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5 posts
Arthur's Seat and Crow Hill fort Hillfort |
3 posts
Cultivation Terraces Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork |
3 posts
The Dasses Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork |
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7 posts
Duddingston Loch Crannog |
Sites of disputed antiquity:
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6 posts
Delf Well Sacred Well |
5 posts
St. Anthony's Well Sacred Well |
2 posts
St. David's Well Sacred Well |
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12 posts
St. Margaret's Well Sacred Well |
1 post
St. Vining's Well Sacred Well |
5 posts
Wells O' Wearie Sacred Well |
News |
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Bronze Age Arrowhead Found http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4125955.stm Article about two children who found a strange-shaped flint on Arthur's Seat over Christmas and took it to the museum of Scotland. (Reads slightly like an advert for responsibly handing stuff over, but fair enough). |
Posted by Rhiannon4th January 2005ce Edited 22nd May 2007ce |
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Folklore |
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'Edinburgh Beltane Rites (First Day of May) Arthur's Seat, a hill of over 800 feet, behind the Palace of Holyroodhouse, is one of the traditional sites on which our pre-Christian forebears were accustomed to light their Beltane fires at sunrise on the first day of May, to hail the coming of summer and to encourage by mimetic magic the renewal of the food supply. "For the growth of vegetation, not only sunshine, but moisture is necessary: hence not only fire, but water had its place in the Beltane ritual. To the Druids, the most sacred of all water forms was dew, and to the dew of Beltane morning they attributed special virtue, gathering it before dawn in stone hollowed out for that purpose. May dew, in a word, was the 'holy water' of the Druids. Those on whom it was sprinkled were assured of health and happiness and, tradition has it, where young women were concerned, of beauty as well, throughout the ensuing year." To this day, all over Scotland numbers of young girls rise before dawn on the first of May and go out to the meadow or hillside to bathe their faces in the dew. Arthur's Seat is a favourite meeting place, and nearby is St. Anthony's Well, to which many used to resort to "wish-a-wish" on this auspicious day. This picturesque survival of the old pagan rites, together with the Christian service on the summit of the hill, draws hundreds of people to the site. As dawn approaches, numbers of young girls dally on the slopes of Arthur's Seat, laughing and chattering as they perform the immemorial rite, and are regarded with amused tolerance by the majority of the arrivals as they climb to the summit to join in the Sunrise Service.' From 'The Silver Bough Volume Four' by F. Marian McNeill (1968) 78-79. |
Posted by Martin 3rd June 2002ce Edited 22nd May 2007ce |
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'In Edinburgh the observance of May Day was never entirely abandoned. Long after the Reformation, sick people were brought to Arthur's Seat before dawn to bask in the beneficent rays of the 'new sun', while others went on pilgrimage to the healing-well of Our Lady of Loretto, at Musselburgh. In the early nineteenth century, says Chambers, the area gates of the Edinburgh houses would open about 4 a.m. and the servant lasses would emerge in their best attire. They were joined by the prentice lads, and together with other enthusiasts, young and old, flocked through the King's Park to Arthur's Seat, where a maypole was erected. The proceedings began at daybreak, when the bakers and other craftsmen began to dance round the maypole to the music of pipes, tabours and fifes. At six o' clock the gentry began to put in an appearance, and soon afterwards the servant lasses left to prepare breakfast. By eight o' clock the fun was all over.' From' The Silver Bough Volume Two' by F. Marian McNeill (1959) Page 81. |
Posted by Martin 3rd June 2002ce Edited 22nd May 2007ce |
Miscellaneous |
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Two noteable publications for the Antiquarian; The RCAHMS do a rather nice 'Broadsheet' (Number 6, 1999)- basically pics and info on one side and a v good 1:550 map on the other for £1:50- see their website for details. Other recommended book- 'Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park- A Visitor's Guide' by C.R. Wickham-Jones (1996) |
Posted by Martin 3rd June 2002ce |
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Not so much 'how many times or when have I visited' this place as opposed to how many years have I lived in its shadow. This is the Mother Hill of Edinburgh- visible from almost every part of the city and beyond. I was born at the edge of Holyrood Park and one of my earliest memories is looking up to Arthur's Seat from the window of my nursery! Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park are littered with sites from the Neolithic to the present day- forts, cultivation terraces, crannogs and at least six sacred wells. To the south and southeast of Arthur's Seat are three remaining standing stones intervisible with the Hill. The distinctive shape of the Hill can be seen from sites to the east such at Traprain Law, Gullane Parallel Cairn Cemetery and to the west from such major sites as Cairnpapple Hill. The summit of Arthur's Seat is still used in a ceremonial manner to this day- every May Day morning folk climb up here to wash their faces in the dew- a strange collection of both Christians who hold a service here to watch the May Day sunrise and those who have been up all night at the Beltane Festival on the nearby Calton Hill! The Park is also a popular place to roll hard boiled eggs at the fertility festival of Easter. Apparently the name of this hill doesn't have much to do with King Arthur, but is more likely derived from the Gaelic 'Arn-na-Said' meaning Height of the Arrows. |
Posted by Martin 3rd June 2002ce Edited 22nd May 2007ce |
Latest posts for Arthur's Seat |
Showing 1-10 of 49 posts. Most recent first | Next 10 
The Dasses (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) — Images (click to view fullsize) |
 
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Posted by thesweetcheat22nd December 2010ce |
Arthur's Seat and Crow Hill fort (Hillfort) — Images |
   
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Posted by thesweetcheat 22nd December 2010ce |
Arthur's Seat and Crow Hill fort (Hillfort) — Links |
CanmoreExtensive description of 20 acre hillfort, which also incorporates the neighbouring Crow Hill. |
Posted by thesweetcheat 22nd December 2010ce |
The Dasses (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) — Miscellaneous |
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The mystery of the vanishing hut circles. From Canmore: There is a row of six hut circles, varying in diameter from 16'-25', and occupying a space just under 50 yards in length, on the second highest of the Dasses. Stevenson (1949) also notes another hut circle, 25'-30' in diameter, at the head of the lowest of the Dasses. R B K Stevenson 1949; RCAHMS 1951. A row of six hut circles with annexes, generally as described in previous information. The hut noted by Stevenson could not be located. Visited by OS (S F S) 8 December 1975. There is nothing to suggest the presence of a row of six hut-circles at this location. All that can now be seen are scatters of tumbled stones and boulders, some of which are earthfast. Visited by RCAHMS (ARG), 15 December 1998 NMRS, MS/726/96 (37-8, no. 12); RCAHMS 1999. |
Posted by thesweetcheat 22nd December 2010ce |
St. Margaret's Well (Sacred Well) — Fieldnotes |
| I visited this site back last summer whilst heading for the nearby park / duck pond. I didn't realise this was site on TMA! Very easy to access and once your eyes have adjusted you can see pretty cleraly into the well. I remember being pleasantly surprised that there was no litter forced into the well. Also not far away is the (in my opinion) hiddeous Scotish Parliament building. (And I thought the Welsh Assembley building was poor!!) |
Posted by CARL 18th November 2010ce |
Wells O' Wearie (Sacred Well) — Folklore |
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Wearie Well In a saft summer gloamin, In yon dowie dell, It was there we twa first met, By Wearie's cauld well, We sat on the brume bench, And look'd in the burn, But sidelang we look'd on, Ilk ither in turn. The corn craik was chirmimg, His sad eerie cry, And the wee stars were dreaming, Their path through the sky, The burn babbled freely, Its love to ilk flower, But we heard and saw nought, In that blessed hour. We heard and we saw nought, Above or around, We felt that oor love lived, And loathed idle sound, I gazed on your sweet face, Tull tears filled my e'e, And they drapped on your wee loof - A warlds wealth to me. Now the winter's snaw is fa'ing, On bare holim and lea, And the cauld wind is drippin, Ilk leaf aff the tree, But the snaw fa's not faister, Nor leaf disna part, Sae sune frae the bough, as Faith fades in your heart. Ye've waled oot another, Your bridegroom to be; But can his heart love sae, As mine luvit thee? Ye'll get biggings and maulings, And monie braw claes; But they a' winna buy back, The peace o' past days. Fareweel and for ever, My first luve and laist, May the joys be to come - Mine lies in the past, In sorrow and sadness, This hears fa's once; But light, as thy live, may It fleet over thee. Motherwell Whistle - Binkie The Piper Of The Party. |
Posted by drewbhoy17th March 2010ce |
Showing 1-10 of 49 posts. Most recent first | Next 10
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