Over nine years ago I embarked on a period of sabbatical leave and I chose to follow in the footsteps of the Celtic Saints who were largely responsible for the introduction of the Christian Faith to these islands. Among the places I visited were Boston (St Botolph), Whitby (St Hilda), Ripon (St Wilfrid), Jarrow (Bede), Holy Island (St Cuthbert), Glasgow (St Mungo) and Iona (St Columba). It was an enlightening time and I wrote a small book which I plan to reprint in the light of what follows.
One place I wanted to visit but didn't was Whithorn in Dumfries and Galloway. In my book I said that would have to wait until another holiday, and nine years later, the opportunity arose. Our folk band Gegenforde, having the previous year stayed an played together on the Isle of Barra, decided this year to go to Dumfries and Galloway, and so we found ourselves staying a in lovely cottage in Ross Bay, about an hour from Whithorn. So Kathy and I set out one day, with Sandie and Peter Dransfield to find Whithorn. It was a warm sunny day and we arrived at lunchtime in the quiet town and found the visitor centre which provided us with sustenance. The sun still beating down (as much as it ever does in Scotland) we walked to the ruined priory.
The priory is inextricably linked with St Ninian who said to have come from the Solway Region. He trained in Rome and returned to Galloway as Bishop and Missionary.
He died around 431 and was buried in his church on the hilltop at Whithorn.
In the 700s the Northumbrian monk, Bede, wrote that Ninian had built a white painted church at Whithorn which became known as 'Candida Casa'.
A few miles along the coast is a cave associated wth Ninian which has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. To get to entails a long walk, difficult for me, so Sandie and Kathy made their pilgrimage leaving Peter and me sitting in the sunshine.
I am pleased to have rounded off that piece of work from 2007.
