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The Priest's Well

Sacred Well

Folklore

'Lochnager' by Alex McConnochie 1891
Passage about the Priest's Well

"A short path, beginning a few yards East of the keeper's house, leads to a particularly large boulder by the loch side at which is " the Priest's Well ", a small chalybeate spring joining the loch. Of course this well has a story associated with it. According to legend, Braemar, at some remote period, suffered from a frost of longer duration and greater strength than even that wintry district had ever previously experienced. The month of May came, but so hard was the ground that not a plough could enter it. Famine being feared, appeal was made to Phadruig, the priest already alluded to. The good man led his anxious flock to this well, which, being of unusual character, was then esteemed of saintly origin. Like all others in the neighbourhood, however, its waters were fast sealed up, but after repeated prayers the well began to thaw. The first water drawn from it was applied to holy purposes. Mass celebrated, the priest resumed his supplications with the gratifying result that the thaw became general. The mountain on which the lowering clouds, intimating the advent of rain, were first seen, was called Cam an t-Sagairt, the Priest's Mountain, but in these degenerate days the name has been corrupted to the more common-place, if not euphonious, form of "Cairn Taggart ". Another version of the tradition has it that both priest and people went to Cam an t-Sagairt and remained there until the desired thaw set in. Until a comparatively recent period the Priest's Well — like many of its kind — had considerable popularity, and the usual offerings of coins, buttons, and preens were thrown into it."
thelonious Posted by thelonious
18th October 2011ce
Edited 18th October 2011ce

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