Eilean na Naoimh

If you travel to the south end of the Applecross peninsula, you will see a very small island sitting like a little jewel a short distance off the shore. This is Eilean an Naoimh (Island of the Saint) and it is linked to traditions of the Applecross saint, Maelrubha.

It is said that this may have been where he and his followers spent the night before coming ashore further north near where Clachan Church stands today. It's unlikely that such a small island could have sustained people very long – there’s no fresh water source, for example. What is more likely is that the island was a terra desertum, a sort of desert island where a saint might go to meditate or commune with nature or God.

More information on visiting the area can be found here.