St.Andrew’s Well (and St.John’s Well)

...and a nod to Pilgrim’s Well - all on the magical Isle of May

In a final flourish of my holy wells of Fife odyssey I followed the route of so many pilgrims that would have made the journey out to this wild spot set in the middle of the Firth of Forth but which feels more like the remoter parts of northern Scotland.

An atmospheric start (see yesterday’s bit of a cheat blip), it was foggy as we set out with the harbour foghorn sounding and the boat having to send regular siren calls out as we crossed. I got chatting to a French couple, Bernadette and Alain, who I recognised from the campsite. I was so surprised and chuffed to realise I was able to dredge up enough French to sustain a conversation of sorts. On arrival we ran the gauntlet of attack from the nesting Arctic Terns vigorously protecting their nests and one drew blood as it pecked poor Bernadette on the head.

After our welcome briefing from the reserve manager folk dispersed across the island and the sun burnt through the fog revealing what the reserve manager perfectly described as a puffin snow globe. There were a host of other nesting seabirds on the cliffs, what a wonderful cacophonous mayhem!

As soon as I asked ‘the’ question, it was obvious that the reserve manager hadn’t been asked it before! Initially I had headed out in the direction of Pilgrims Well (marked on my map) but couldn’t find it so went back to the visitor reception area to ask. Apparently it was where I had been looking (at Pilgrim’s Haven) but it has dried up. St. Andrew’s (pictured) is still there though and used as the water supply for the other end of the island and St.John’s is by the visitor reception (the white cylindrical building the extra) and very close to the ruins of the abbey; it is used by the reserve team as their water supply.

What an amazing, magical place.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_May

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/archaeology-secrets-of-st-adrians-isle-the-monks-left-may-long-ago-and-today-instead-of-pilgrims-it-1381389.html