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Heaven StoneHoled Stone
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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. |
Posted by CARL 15th August 2013ce |
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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." |
Posted by markj99 28th October 2020ce Edited 29th October 2020ce |
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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? |
Posted by Rhiannon7th July 2005ce Edited 15th August 2013ce |
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Canmore ID 10939An overall description of Trumpan Church and its stones. There is no reference to the Heaven Stone/Trying Stone. |
Posted by markj99 28th October 2020ce |
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