Ashaig
Encyclopedia
Ashaig is a hamlet, situated adjacent to Upper Breakish
and Lower Breakish
near Broadford
on the island of Skye
, Scotland. For administrative purposes, it lies in the Highland Council area.
, which is no longer used for commercial flights. There is a large and attractive sandy beach at the end of the airstrip, except at high tide.
(c.642-722), the apostle to Skye, who is said variously to have sailed over from Applecross
(on a large flat stone) and to have occupied the small island of Pabay
opposite the beach. There are still to be seen the sacred spring that started when the saint tore a small tree from the ground and a rocky crag above the river, which he is said to have used as a pulpit (Creag an leabhair, "the rock of the book"). The saint's bell, which is supposed to have hung from a tree and to have pealed of its own accord in order to summon the faithful, is no longer in evidence.
axe was also found near the spring.
Within the burial ground, the remains of a mediaeval church ("Cill Ashik") were still in existence as late as the middle of the 19th century.
Upper Breakish
Upper Breakish is a village on the Isle of Skye in Scotland in the United Kingdom....
and Lower Breakish
Lower Breakish
Lower Breakish is a village on the Isle of Skye in Scotland....
near Broadford
Broadford, Skye
Broadford , together with nearby Harrapool, is the second-largest settlement on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, lying on the SW corner of Broadford Bay, on the A87 between Portree and the Skye Bridge....
on the island of Skye
Skye
Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills...
, Scotland. For administrative purposes, it lies in the Highland Council area.
Airfield
Ashaig is the site of Broadford AirfieldBroadford Airfield
Broadford Airfield is a small airfield on the island of Skye, Scotland with just one runway. It gets its name from the nearby settlement of Broadford.- History :...
, which is no longer used for commercial flights. There is a large and attractive sandy beach at the end of the airstrip, except at high tide.
Connection with St Maelrubha
The old burial ground at Ashaig, which is still in use, reflects the site's ancient religious associations. By tradition, it is closely connected with St. MaelrubhaMáel Ruba
Máel Ruba , Máelrubai , Maol Rubha , or Malruibhe , sometimes Latinised as Rufus, is a saint of the Celtic Church...
(c.642-722), the apostle to Skye, who is said variously to have sailed over from Applecross
Applecross
The Applecross peninsula is a peninsula in Wester Ross, Highland, on the west coast of Scotland. The name Applecross is at least 1300 years old and is not used locally to refer to the 19th century village with the pub and post office, lying on the small Applecross Bay, facing the Inner Sound, on...
(on a large flat stone) and to have occupied the small island of Pabay
Pabay
Pabay is a Scottish island just off the coast of the Skye.-Geography:Pabay is an island in the Inner Sound of Skye, north of Broadford. It lies south of Longay and east of the larger Scalpay....
opposite the beach. There are still to be seen the sacred spring that started when the saint tore a small tree from the ground and a rocky crag above the river, which he is said to have used as a pulpit (Creag an leabhair, "the rock of the book"). The saint's bell, which is supposed to have hung from a tree and to have pealed of its own accord in order to summon the faithful, is no longer in evidence.
Archaeological remains
The spring is covered by a stone-built well-house. Conservation work in 1994 revealed that it was fed by a channel from an earlier stone-lined spring. One of the lintels of the linking channel bore a lozenge 75mm long, and a cross-marked stone was found near the well-house. A neolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
axe was also found near the spring.
Within the burial ground, the remains of a mediaeval church ("Cill Ashik") were still in existence as late as the middle of the 19th century.