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Saint Duthac

by
Brian MacLeod

St. Duthac or St. Duthus as he's often called today is the patron saint of Tain in Easter Ross.  St. Duthac of Tain died in 1065 and 1468 saw the establishment of Morangie and Tarlogie as Chaplinaries of St Duthac's Church, Tain.] Tain lays claim to being the oldest Royal Burgh in Scotland having received its first Charter in 1066 (when Harold was getting an arrow in the eye).  For many years, the chapel of St. Duthac was the center of a Sanctuary and many traveled long distances to gain from its benefits and those of nearby Fearn Abbey.

When Robert the Bruce was in retreat, he sent his wife and daughter to the chapel for safe keeping.  The English forces violated the sanctuary and burned the chapel.  Bruce's wife and daughter were taken to England and exhibited in cages like birds for the next seven years (nice lot).

The ruined chapel still exists alongside the Tain river in the middle of an ancient graveyard (including some bones of my ancestors).  St. Duthac's name also appears in other areas such as the name of one of the houses at Tain Royal Academy.  St. Duthac is reputed to have died in the early 1060s either in Tain or Ireland.

There is now a museum in Tain and I believe that there may be some material on St. Duthac linked to the Glenmorangie (one of Tain's best exports) website.

[More information on Saints of Scotland is also available here.]

Source:
Brian MacLeod
Newsgroups: soc.culture.scottish
Subject: Re: St. Duthac
Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1999
Organization: Cutting Edge Communications, Inc. - http://home.cet.com

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