Apologises for the last couple of weeks, I have been away or ill so I have been unable until now to send one of these out. I hope you enjoyed or took something from last week’s feature. I think it is good to do a bit more work on one particular topic so if there are things you would like to be seen covered here in the Coracle, in a feature, let me know!
Saint Andrew, 30th November
This week is Scotland’s Patron Saint - St Andrew. We will send out a special article on him on the day of his feast.
St Ethernan/Adrian/Odran, Feast Day 4th December, D. 875AD
The Aberdeen Breviary mentions an Ethernan as an exemplary Bishop with associations at Rathen in the North East, Madderty in Perth Shire, Kilrenny on the Fife Coast and on the Isle of May in the Firth of Forth. No miracles or other particulars are recorded. However the Isle of May has a strong association with St Adrian, whose name bears striking similarity. St Adrian seems to have been mixed up with Saints from Hungary to Nicodemia; but according to Forbes in his ‘Kalendars of Scottish Saints’ this Adrian was of Irish origin who left Ireland to get away from the Viking attacks plaguing the land at the time. He was then given the Isle of May as place of prayer in the 9th Century possibly due to St Andrews becoming the Bishopric See of the Picts. Elsewhere it is recorded an almighty clash between the Angles and the Scots occurred in 875AD which corresponds to the date and story of St Adrian and his companions martyrdom on the Isle. The name of Odran also appears to have a a connection with St Adrian, being the Irish version of the name and with associations in Macduff, Fife and around St Andrews. St Adrians Feast day is the 4th of March. The Isle of May was a place of prayer and devotion for a long time with a beautiful priory on the Island being placed under Benedictine Rule which was a favourite place of King James IV to pilgrimage to - as was for many other Scots.