A lavishly illustrated guide to sacred wells in Scotland from prehistoric times, pagan and Christian, from the Borders to the Orkneys, including the myths surrounding them, their buildings and cultural relevance to Scottish identity today. As in so many areas of Britain sacred wells persist in Scotland in the face of modernity. Holy Wells: Scotland is an exploration of just some of the many hundreds of wells in the country, carefully researched and beautifully photographed by experienced well-hunter Phil Cope. The book is a sweeping journey from the northwards from the Borders through mainland Scotland to the Orkney s before sweeping through the Hebrides to end on the sacred isle of Iona. On his travels Cope finds a multiplicity of wells with a variety of functions, ancient and modern. From the wells of Calton Hill in Edinburgh (place of an annual pagan festival), to modestly developed springs in fields or on the deserted coastline come healing wells, cursing wells, and wells named for saints, Satan, witches, angels, fairies, heroes and poets. And attached to many are folk tales, myths and legends, which Cope relates in his accompanying narrative, along conversations with contemporary well-users and poems inspired by Scottish wells. The first book on Scottish wells for over three decades, and the first to be so lavishly illustrated with colour photographs, Holy Wells: Scotland is both a record of some of the countrys many wells and a celebration of their continuing relevance to the identity of Scotland today. Holy Wells: Scotland is the fourth title in the Holy Wells series, which includes books on Wales, Cornwall and Borderlands.

In The Living Wells of Wales author and photographer Phil Cope has made a lavishly illustrated guide to over a hundred sacred wells in Wales, pagan and Christian, for the specialist and occasional visitors alike. Packed with photographs, Cope describes their cultural relevance to contemporary Welsh identity through landscape, myth and architecture.

This book is a welcome addition to the scant literature concerning holy wells, springs, and rivers around the world. One of a few serious works outside of regional studies which discusses, in depth, the folklore, mythology, and archaeology of holy wells and springs, as well as rituals that still exist today at many of the sacred water sites around the world.

Celebrating the culture and landscape of Cornwall, England, this collection presents the sacred wells of the region through stunning color photographs and informative text. Trekking though densely wooden terrain and into ancient churches, this volume features dozens of preeminent Cornish wells and the legends and history associated with them. Unique and enlightening, this compilation demonstrates the Celtic influence on towns and villages through the nomenclature of wells and places of worship and further highlights the sacred wells through poetry--composed by renowned writers, including Robert Southey and Arthur Quller Couch.

Mysterious Scotland presents an extraordinary array of the weird and wonderful heritage of the country. Michael Balfour examines strange stories from the moors, forests, rivers, holy wells and lochs, where - as well as the old legends and dark secrets which he prises out of palaces, castles and cathedrals - he finds monsters, ghoulies, unsolved murders and ancient cures. Investigating a land where the past is reflected in the present, the author has roamed all around Scotland, exploring standing stones, mermaid beaches and magic springs. He seeks out new theories about the prehistoric, Celtic and Pictish stones, carvings, tombs and brochs which are scattered across the country. Among his many wonderful discoveries, he unearths long-forgotten prophecies, puzzling tales from the bothies, consuming traditions and distillers' tricks, and finds evidence of the legendary Highland second sight. Not forgotten are the great historical figures who throng the pages, each making a unique contribution to Mysterious Scotland. This book is the perfect introduction to the amazing hidden history which permeates Scottish lives and landscape.

The islands of the Outer Hebrides are home to some of the most remote and spectacular scenery in the world. They host an astonishing range of mysterious structures - stone circles, beehive dwellings, holy wells and 'temples' from the Celtic era. Over a twelve-day pilgrimage, often in appalling conditions, Alastair McIntosh returns to the islands of his childhood and explores the meaning of these places. Traversing moors and mountains, struggling through torrential rivers, he walks from the most southerly tip of Harris to the northerly Butt of Lewis. The book is a walk through space and time, across a physical landscape and into a spiritual one. As he battled with his own ability to endure some of the toughest terrain in Britain, he met with the healing power of the land and its communities. This is a moving book, a powerful reflection not simply of this extraordinary place and its people met along the way, but of imaginative hope for humankind.