Heaven Stone

Holed Stone
NG22496121
Disputed

Also known as:

Clach Deuchainn, The Priest's Stone, The Trying Stone, Trial Stone and Trumpan

Nearest town:

Uig (17km ENE)

OS reference:

NG22496121

OS sheet:

Latitude:

57° 33' 20.29 N

Longitude:

6° 38' 24.62 W

Added to TMA by

Rhiannon

Images (5)
Fieldnotes (1)
Folklore (2)
Links (1)

Images

Image of Heaven Stone (Holed Stone) by markj99

The Heaven Stone with Trumpan Church as a backdrop.

Image credit: Mark Johnstone

markj99 Oct 28, 2020

There are significant cracks in the top half of the Heaven Stone.

Image credit: Mark Johnstone

markj99 Oct 28, 2020

Pennies for Heaven: coins inserted into a crack in the Heaven Stone. Too many appeals to Heaven may lead to its destruction.

Image credit: Mark Johnstone

markj99 Oct 28, 2020

The hole in the Heaven stone, a small target to aim for.

Image credit: Mark Johnstone

markj99 Oct 28, 2020

A font or a bullaun stone in Trumpan Church.

Image credit: Mark Johnstone

markj99 Oct 28, 2020

Articles

Heaven Stone

Holed Stone

CARL Aug 15, 2013

Visited 28.7.13

It is a long drive north off the A850 / B886 along an increasingly bumpy minor road to arrive at Trumpan and its ruined church. In saying that I do like an old ruined church and this one doesn’t disappoint. The graveyard itself is clearly well maintained.

It took a little while to find the stone (I had at first walked past it) and it is located near the entrance to the graveyard (on the right if memory serves). My O/S map refers to it as the Priest’s Stone. It is about 1.5m high and has a crack running through it in which many coins had been wedged. The hole in the stone doesn’t go all the way through and is actually quite small.

I am sorry to report that I failed the ‘finger test’ so I had better make the most of my time on earth as it doesn’t appear I have much else to look forward to!

I also spotted an old stone which looked like it must have been the font. That too had coins placed in it.

This part of Skye reminded me very much of being on Orkney. Even the headstones had the ‘hairy moss’ so prevalent on the Scottish Isles. This is a great spot for a graveyard with cracking coastal views (despite the rain/mist).
There are a lot worse places to be laid to rest, that’s for sure.

Heaven Stone

Holed Stone

markj99 Oct 28, 2020

I don’t own a copy of Ecclesiological notes on some of the islands of Scotland (1885) by TS Muir. I would hazard a guess that not many people do. However, the book is used as a reference in Canmore ID 10939 (go to Links) for Trumpan Church in Skye.
Therefore I would like to acknowledge Malcolm H Jones for a quote from pages 270-1 posted on MyCanmore Text in Canmore ID 10939. Canmore does not mention the Heaven Stone in its account however Muir has an account of the stone and its tradition.
Muir describes it as “a rude undressed pillar called ‘The Trying Stone,’ to which, according to local tradition, accused persons were taken, and there, through a venturesome appeal to the object, made manifest their innocence or their guilt. It is a massy whin, 4 ft. 8 in. in height, with a downwardly-bent cavity of an inch and a half in diameter near to its top. As the story goes, the appellant was placed within a certain distance of the stone, and then, approaching it blindfold, established his innocence only by unerringly putting his finger into the cavity.”

Heaven Stone

Holed Stone

Rhiannon Jul 7, 2005

There is a holed stone here in the churchyard. If you’re a spotless Christian, an atheist, or just feeling lucky – you may like to take the following test. Close your eyes, stick out your finger, and try to shove it into the hole. If you’re successful first time, heave a sigh of relief, as you’re off to heaven when you die. I’m afraid less co-ordinated people are going The Other Way.

The stone was also called the ‘Trial Stone’ as a similar ‘pin the tail on the donkey’ style test would tell the world if you were innocent or guilty of a crime.

(story mentioned in the Bords’ ‘Magical Atlas of Britain’ among other places).

You can see a picture of the stone on geograph.

You might also find this hollowed stone seen on Canmore,“said to be a font or holy water stoup,” so says the database. Does it look rather like a bullaun stone?