The Clootie Well

[ZED]

The Clootie Well is a weird remnant of an ancient tradition once commonly found in Scotland, of holy wells to which pilgrims would come and make offerings, usually in the hope of having an illness cured. The tradition dates far back into pre-Christian times.
I have found some photo's of a Clootie Well in the village of Munlochy, in the heart of the Black Isle, that lies north of Inverness.
This rather strange tradition still goes on today....

[A Douglas! A Douglas!]

Very interesting!
Judging from the amount of tokens left there, it looks like a lot of people still put faith in those old stories.

[Eileen]

Eerily disturbing... but very interesting, indeed. I'd love to see on in person.. Conjures up images of bog monsters beneath the sediment.. (Too many B movies in my youth, I guess..LOL!)

Great posts, Zed, thanks again!

[NoraTheHun]

If you find THAT disturbing you ought to go to Altötting for a pilgrimage and specifically visit the The Chapel of the Miraculous Image with the discarded crutches and wheelchairs in the arcade.

But seriously, in spite of the shameless and obscene commercialisation of religion, which I find always disgusting, it is a seriously beautiful little town, at least it used to be when I visited there more than 20 years ago.

[Keppoch]

Aye Zed the clootie well is an amazing place I have been there a few times and had a drink from the small spring. Also left a piece of clothing ( wont explain what, but it was all the spare clothes I had with me ) and its only a ten minute drive once you are over the Kessock Bridge at Inverness.

[Elspeth]

Aye Zed the clootie well is an amazing place I have been there a few times and had a drink from the small spring. Also left a piece of clothing ( wont explain what, but it was all the spare clothes I had with me ) and its only a ten minute drive once you are over the Kessock Bridge at Inverness.

Did ya recognize anything in yon photo?

[Alligator]

Intriguing. Another similarity between Scots and some Native American groups. In Paha Sapa the Black Hills of South Dakota, there are sacred places up in the hills where the Lakota Sioux go to fast and pray. I've been walking out there and will come upon places where you will see lots of ribbons and small medicine bundles tied to the trees. Some of them have evidently been there a long time.

[Keppoch]

Aye Gator, I was told that the clootie well pre-dates christianity.