On the Eve of Pentecost 563 AD St Columba landed on a little stony beach on the island of Iona, having sailed all the way from Ireland in a coracle. Today is Pentecost and celebrations are being held to mark the 1450th anniversary of the event.
Iona may seem a long way from Cruden, but there are certainly connections between these early Celtic monks and the NE of Scotland. Not least among them is the little ruined chapel of St Adamnan or (St Fidamnan) at Leask.
On this day of Pentecost 2013 I visited the chapel and took a few photographs. It is a wonderful little place surrounded by mature trees, not yet in leaf, concealing what is thought to be a graveyard. A little burn with yellow marsh marigolds in bloom, flows past the site.
Although the chapel dates to the 15th Century, tradition says that St Adaman (born in Ireland in 624 AD) who was the 9th Abbot of Iona and the biographer of St Columba, founded a cell here in the parish of Slains. The “buried church” at Forvie also bears his name.
The church of Kineff south of Stonehaven, where the Regalia of Scotland were once hidden from Cromwell’s army in 1651, is dedicated to him and further dedications are at Aboyne and Forglen.
But perhaps I was premature in my visit. History tells us that one of the things which divided the Celtic and the Roman Church in early Britain was the date of Easter and consequently Pentecost, some 50 days later. Adaman was all for adopting the Roman date of Easter and consequently fell out of favour with his church for a while. The Orthodox Church still keeps the old date of Easter and they will not celebrate Pentecost this year until 23 June. Perhaps that is the date we should mark for the anniversary of the arrival of St Columba? I will visit St Adamnan’s again then and see how the trees are looking when in full leaf.
But there is another connection I have with this area. Although I had driven past the ruins before, it was only recently that I found out its name and some more information. And the connection? My grandfather, Alexander Smith whom I have written about before (See 28th March 2013), was born in October 1889 at Auchnabo farm just a little way down the road from the little chapel. I wonder if his mother and father ever walked past it?
