Easter Rarichie Hillfort View all content for Easter Rarichie

Close to the fort of Rarichie “Tobar na h-Iù” [“The Yew Tree Well”] can be found. In the folklore of the area it was a Danish Fort or a fairy-fort but it is a fort from the time of the Picts. According to Watson’s book the Picts used to say “Tiugamaid ’bhàn ’dhèanamh rotha riachagan,” [“Let’s go down to make rows of scratches [to sow seeds in],”] they used to live at Cadha an Ruigh’, closer to the slopes of Ben Nigg. The well had healing properties and it would be used for “White Swelling.” At the base of the fort the well could be found. There is a verse connected to this well: “Tobar na h-iù, Tobar na h-iù, ’S ann duit bu chumha bhi uasal: Tha leabaidh deis ann an iuthairnn Do ’n fhear a ghearr a’ chraobh mu d’ chluasan.” [“Well of the Yew, Well of the Yew. To thee it is that honour is due; A bed in hell is prepared for him Who cut the tree around thy ears.”] A Yew Tree used to be close to this well, with its branches hanging above the well but it was chopped down some time a long time ago, I haven’t found a story to see if it was chopped down by someone, or what happend to the person after they chopped the tree down! DASG Blog

Posted by drewbhoy 10th January 2023ce

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