30-455: Crail Parish Church is an ancient church building in Crail , Fife , Scotland. It is Category A listed , its oldest part dating to the 12th century. The walls and gravestones of its kirkyard are also Category A listed. In its first form, the church building consisted of an unaisled rectangular nave and chancel of Romanesque design. In the early 13th century, a western tower with small spire
60-467: A characteristic tower dating from about 1600 and a European-style roof, similar to buildings in Holland. The weathervane on the spire is in the form of a smoked haddock (known locally as a Crail Capon ) rather than the traditional cockerel form. The Crail Museum and Heritage Centre, largely staffed by volunteers and open every day in summer, is sited in a neighbouring building, also of historical interest, at
90-511: A major Christian centre and instrumental in the spread of both Christianity and Gaelic culture amongst the Picts of northern Scotland . The succession of the abbots ceases to be recorded in the Irish annals during the course of the ninth century. It is likely that this is the result of (unrecorded) raids by Vikings. A setting of two small stones in the graveyard at Applecross is still pointed out as
120-653: A plantation of ash trees. They were vexed at Anstruther because his new ditches had been built on land they claimed to belong to them as common land. The Privy Council of Scotland ordered them to rebuild the dykes. In 2017, the Community Council was granted the Letters Patent to the Crail Shield and Coat of Arms. This was lost when the Royal Burgh of Crail Council was abolished in 1976. The most notable building in
150-632: A royal burgh in 1178 during the reign of King William the Lion . Robert the Bruce granted permission to hold markets on a Sunday. Mary of Guise , afterward consort of James V , landed in Crail in June 1538 after a severe storm, and was hospitably entertained in the ancient mansion of Balcomie Castle, whence, accompanied by the king, she proceeded to St. Andrew's. John Knox , visiting Crail on his way to St Andrews in 1559,
180-459: A war memorial gateway of 1921. Crail Crail ( listen ; Scottish Gaelic : Cathair Aile ) is a former royal burgh , parish and community council area (Royal Burgh of Crail and District) in the East Neuk of Fife , Scotland. The locality has an estimated population of 1,630 (2018). The name Crail was recorded in 1148 as Cherel and in 1153 as Karel . The first element
210-439: Is on display in the church: it is of unusual form (perhaps 10th century), formerly set in the floor. John Knox , visiting Crail on his way to St Andrews in 1559, was moved to deliver a sermon in the church. Afterwards, protesters went through the church and forcefully removed images which were put in place by previous generations but were now considered ideologically unsound. Remains of the c. 1160 chancel exist in
240-568: Is referred to as "St Rufus", and St Rufus Church is dedicated to him. In other parts of Scotland, his name was variously rendered as "Maree" (as in the Loch), "Summereve" (i.e., St Maol Rubha) etc. There are several locations named after Máel Ruba such as Loch Maree . He is said to have established a hermitage on Isle Maree . In the 17th century the Presbytery of Dingwall was disturbed by allegations of pattern day festivals and rituals, assumed at
270-500: Is sometimes latinised as Rufus , Máel Ruba was descended from Niall , King of Ireland , via his father Elganach. His mother, Subtan, was a niece of Saint Comgall (d. 597 or 602) of Bangor . Máel Ruba was born in the area of Derry and was educated at Bangor. In 671, when he was thirty, he sailed from Ireland to Scotland with a group of monks. For two years he travelled around the area, chiefly in Argyll , perhaps founding some of
300-557: Is the Pictish *cair (c.f. Welsh caer ) meaning "fort", though this word seems to have been borrowed into Gaelic . The second element may be either Gaelic ail , "rocks", or more problematically Pictish *al ; no certain instance of this word exists in P-Celtic . However, if the generic element were Pictish, then this is likely of the specific. The site on which the parish church is built appears to have religious associations that pre-date
330-670: The Catholic Church in Scotland , to be kept on 27 August. In the calendar of saints of the Scottish Episcopal Church he is honoured on 20 April. Because due to a typographical error centuries ago, his feast day was observed on 25 August, and folk etymology led some people to confuse "Summereve's Fair" with a secular fair celebrating the season. Máel Ruba's name has given rise to numerous corruptions; for example in Keith, Moray , he
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#1732869776616360-718: The Celtic Church who was active in the Christianisation of the Picts and Gaels of Scotland . Originally a monk from Bangor Abbey , County Down , Gaelic Ireland , he founded the monastic community of Applecross ( Scottish Gaelic : A' Chomraich [ə ˈxoməriç] , 'The Sanctuary') in Wester Ross , one of the best attested early Christian monasteries in what is now Scotland . Forms of his name include Máelrubai ( Old Irish spelling), Maol Rubha (MoRubha/MaRuibhe) ( Scottish Gaelic spelling), or Malruibhe , and it
390-491: The (supposed) site of his grave. According to local tradition, on his last journey he was killed by Danish vikings , probably at Teampull, around nine miles up Strathnaver from Farr, where he had built a monastic cell , and was buried near the River Naver , not far from his cell, where his grave is still marked by "a rough cross-marked stone". However, 722 may be too early for Scandinavian raiders to have been involved, as
420-620: The Nunnery's possession until the Reformation . The kirkyard also includes a war memorial gateway of 1921. Crail Tolbooth is near the juncture of Tolbooth Wynd and the Marketgate. It stands on its own at the edge of the large marketplace with its Mercat cross in the centre of the town. This is where the Sunday markets were once held. (The former marketplace is now used as a car park.) The tolbooth has
450-521: The church belonged to the Cistercian nunnery of St Clare in Haddington, East Lothian , and remained the nunnery's possession until the Reformation . The large kirkyard surrounding the building has a collection of monuments and stones dating from the late 16th century onwards and an unusual ornamented morthouse is present, once used to frustrate the activities of bodysnatchers . The kirkyard also includes
480-470: The crane on the southwest corner which lifts timbers into slots to seal the inner harbour. The structure of the inner walls of the harbour features a highly unusual vertical coursing of the stones. On the beach beside the harbour, there are fossilised trees related to Horsetails , dating back to the Carboniferous geological period. The Crail Golfing Society , formed in 1766, is the seventh-oldest in
510-499: The first historically recorded Viking attacks on Scotland and Ireland date to the 790s. Another tradition, found in the Aberdeen Breviary , is that he was killed at Urquhart and buried at Abercrossan. This is probably a mistake arising from a confusion of Gaelic place-names. The most reliable sources, contemporary Irish annals, record that he 'died' at Applecross in his 80th year. Máel Ruba was, after St Columba , perhaps
540-534: The many churches still dedicated to him, before settling at Aporcrosan ( Applecross ) in 673, in Pictish territory in the west of Ross opposite the islands of Skye and Raasay . Thence he set out on missionary journeys: westward to the islands Skye and Lewis , eastward to Forres and Keith , and northward to Loch Shin , Durness , and Farr . The Gaelic name of Applecross, " A' Chomraich ", 'The Sanctuary', derives from an area of inviolate ground which surrounded
570-401: The monastery. Its limits were originally marked by crosses. Unfortunately, only a fragment of one of these has survived, within the farmyard at Camusterrach, south of Applecross village. Both Máel Ruba's voyage to 'Scotland' and his foundation of Applecross are recorded in contemporary Irish annals, implying that they were considered of great significance at the time. Máel Ruba's monastery was
600-557: The most popular saint in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland. At least twenty-one churches are dedicated to him, and Dean Reeves enumerates about forty forms of his name. His death occurred on 21 April, and the Catholic Church in Ireland has always kept his feast on this day; however, in Scotland (probably owing to the confusion with Saint Rufus ) it has also been kept on 27 August. On 5 July 1898, Pope Leo XIII restored his feast for
630-401: The north wall and a fragment of the southwest wall. The west tower is slightly later, c. 1200 , believed to have been free-standing originally but was designed as part of a plan for a rebuilt nave. This rebuild was begun c. 1120 , containing an aisle of six bays with a clerestory and circular piers. A belfry stage, corbelled parapet and a stone spire were added to
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#1732869776616660-400: The parish church's foundation in early medieval times, as evidenced by an 8th-century cross-slab preserved in the church. The parish church was itself dedicated (in the 13th-century) to the early holy man St. Maelrubha of Applecross in Wester Ross . Crail Castle was an occasional residence of David I of Scotland during the 12th century but subsequently fell into ruin. Crail became
690-528: The pilgrims during annual celebrations of his feast day , either on or near his former hermitage on Isle Maree . In reference to these past festivals, the cliff on the loch shore facing the island is still called ( Scottish Gaelic : Creag nan Tarbh , 'Cliff of the Bull'). These rituals have been thought by folklorists unfamiliar with Celtic Christianity to come from a debased memory of Máel Ruba, which had perhaps become mixed with an ancient pre-Christian cult of
720-538: The time to be of pagan origin. In particular, the Isle was a Christian pilgrimage shrine visited by those seeking cures for mental illness through the saint's intercession by being rowed three times sunwise around the hermitage, followed by a dip each time in the waters of the Loch. Pilgrimages were traditionally followed by expressing gratitude for successful cures through donating bulls for slaughter, roasting, and consumption by
750-433: The top of Tolbooth Wynd. It houses temporary exhibitions and has a permanent exhibition on RNAS Crail . The Golf Hotel , on High Street, is Category A listed, dating to the 18th century or earlier. In 1610, the eastern pier was described as "new foundit" (newly built); however, by 1707 it was called "old and ruinous", requiring rebuilding. The west pier was rebuilt in 1828 by Robert Stevenson . This work incorporated
780-430: The tower c. 1500 . A north side wall was rebuilt in the 18th century. Robert Balfour ( c. 1772 –1867) reconstructed the nave in 1815, including a new south aisle wall. The north wall received new windows, and a continuous roof was placed over the nave. In 1828, William Lees , of Pittenweem , rebuilt the gallery and refitted the chancel. It now contains a large organ. From early in its history,
810-515: The town is the parish church, situated in the Marketgate – from the mid-13th century St Maelrubha's, in later medieval times St Mary's, but now, as part of the Church of Scotland 's ministry, known just as Crail Parish Church. It was founded in the second half of the 12th century. From early in its history, it belonged to the Cistercian Nunnery of St Clare in Haddington, East Lothian , and remained
840-411: The world. Their oldest course, Balcomie , was formally laid out by Tom Morris Sr. in 1894, but competitions had been played there since the 1850s. Stagecoach East Scotland 's bus service 95 from Leven to St Andrews via Pittenweem and Anstruther is the only bus service which serves Crail. The hourly service runs every day. Maelrubha Máel Ruba ( c. 642–722) is an Irish saint of
870-565: Was added, and a double arcade of round pillars of variegated red sandstone in the nave. It was in this form, in 1243, that the church was dedicated to St Maelrubha by the Bishop of St Andrews . The side walls were rebuilt in Regency times, and the large pointed windows, filled with panes of clear glass held by astragals , rather than leads, allow light to flood into the interior. The church retains some 17th-century woodwork. The early Christian cross-slab
900-469: Was moved to deliver a sermon in Crail Parish Church . Afterwards, protesters went through the church and forcefully removed images which were put in place by previous generations but were now considered ideologically unsound. In August 1583, many of the inhabitants of Crail attacked nearby Wormiston House, which belonged to Sir John Anstruther. They filled up newly made ponds and ditches, and destroyed
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