Saddell Abbey gravestones

[ChrisA]

Visiting Sadell Abbey, we noticed that a few of the gravestones featured embossed skull and crossbones.

Any stories behind this? Was Kintyre realy awash with 17th century pirates??

[chrisduffy]

Hi Chris,
You will find many a grave stone with skull and crossbones on, unfortunately its nothing as romantic as a pirate or even a plague victim as some believe, its merely a symbol of death commonly used in the eighteenth century, the hour glass is another example of this.
I got this information from the book, Kintyre by Norman S Newton, an interesting book of the area with some great photography,

[GarySutherland]

Another period feature of grave stones is the inclusion of the 'tools of the trade' of the person buried there, and my wife tells me that some of the grave stones from the first half of the 18th century in the graveyard at Skipness have been carved with the letters facing backwards.

Cheers
Gary

[amron]

Taken from the Argylls Highland book published 1902

A tradition concerning the building of the monastery was that a certain individual murdered his step father and was haunted by his ghost went to Rome to confess his sin to the Pope and was ordered to go back to Kintyre and build a church between 2 hills and 2 waters and his troubled mind would be relieved He choose Saddell.
The Thane of Argyll and Lord of Kintrye and the Isles was slain in 1163 and was buried in Saddell abbey He was known as the mighty Somerled.


The sculptured stone represents Somerled and is known as the Founders Tomb the body is covered to the knees and the right hand is raised to the shoulderhe is clasping a 2 handed sword in this left hand.
A second stone is sculpted smaller and has a figure of a priest praying and a 3rd tomb stone is called the Abbots he is full length and hands clasped high in prayer.
Another stone represents a Warrior.
Two fragments of Iona crosses also lie in the choir,
At the head of one of the crosses is the the crucified saviour and at the bottom of the cross is the horseman with spear and on the other face is a vessel with mast and sail a portion of 2 handed sword and 2 birds below the cross with the letters DRI or DNI and a dog.

Not sure if your are able to see all detail at present time as it has a while since been to saddell.
Hope that this helps understand the carvings and I hope that this is accurate it must have been when it was printed.

[petewick]

Mum lived in Saddell for a few years and spoke of the monks well.
I wonder, does anyone know if it's still there.

Regards, Petewick

[jdcarra]

Mum lived in Saddell for a few years and spoke of the monks well.
I wonder, does anyone know if it's still there.

Regards, Petewick

Petewick

You enter this gateway, opposite the Landmark Trust entrance to Castle



folow the path through the wood



until you come on this aweinspiring site of the monks well



notice the cross below the well

[ullean's mum]

excellent pic's jd ,been there many time's without kid's and now they can see it through your pic's,keep them coming

[Bobbie En Tejas]

Cool pics, JD.. now about the log pile...

[Annie]

I remember bering there as a teenager before they dug up the Abbey and put this knights on display. I used to go out there on Fridays and stayed with the McManus family and traipse around Saddell like the heathen I am. It was absolutely brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!! There is a feeling in the abbey of long mourned souls!

[dgraves]

Thanks, JD, for the pictures. I can imagine myself walking along the path..and I will someday. The well looks like a holy font.

[Annie]

The well is absolutely brilliant and I remember the water being very cold and sweet!!!!!!!!!!

[amron]

Great pictures jd.

Remember going down to see the well years ago.
Forgot all about it. Think I will take kids to see it over the holidays.

[petewick]

Mum lived in Saddell for a few years and spoke of the monks well.
I wonder, does anyone know if it's still there.

Regards, Petewick

Petewick

You enter this gateway, opposite the Landmark Trust entrance to Castle



folow the path through the wood



until you come on this aweinspiring site of the monks well



notice the cross below the well

Thanks Johnnie, that was much appreciated, Mum loved the pictures its nigh on 50 years since she's been there.
I will be going for a look the next time I'm down.

Thanks again JD, yer' wan' o' the finest.

petewick

[petewick]

Mum lived in Saddell for a few years and spoke of the monks well.
I wonder, does anyone know if it's still there.

Regards, Petewick

Petewick

You enter this gateway, opposite the Landmark Trust entrance to Castle



folow the path through the wood



until you come on this aweinspiring site of the monks well



notice the cross below the well

Thanks Johnnie, that was much appreciated, Mum loved the pictures its nigh on 50 years since she's been there.
I will be going for a look the next time I'm down.

Thanks again JD, yer' wan' o' the finest.

petewick

Just looking at this thread again, was on the phone to mum last night and we got talking about the monks well, she told me that they used to see the visitors going to the well, and when they would leave, mum and her siblings would go the the well and plunder all the coins the visitors had left there.
This youth delinquency is'nt a new thing


petewick

[Annie]

My dad said that when he was wee they used to do the same thing to the wishing well and Bellochantuy!