St. Catherine's Well or Kate's Well is a historical natural spring well of significant interest and sits on holy ground, [1] at the foot of Kirk O' Shott's Parish Church, [2] otherwise known as (Shottskirk) [3] in the village of Salsburgh, [4] North Lanarkshire. The well dates back to the 15th century, and derives from the church's former past when it was once a Catholic place of worship as St. Catherines Chapel, which has origins from Catherine of Sienna.
The water runs off from nearby hills and has a jovial longstanding joke within the nearby village of how the water runs through the Shottskirk cemetery bodies, which of course is neither true or founded.
Kate's Well is also the scene of the local legendary giant Bertram de Shotts's demise; a gripping tale is told how a young man, namely Willielmo De Muirhead, 1st Laird of Muirhead, killed the Giant. With cunning patience he ambushed Bertram de Shotts, immobilising him by slicing both his hamstrings as he lay down to drink at Kate's Well. Disorientated, Bertram de Shotts was then decapitated in an unpleasant death. A proud, and now wealthy, De Muirhead then carried the blooded head to the King and was rewarded with a 'Hawk's Flight' of land. This land subsequently became Muirhead's Lauchope estate.
The well itself received a much needed boost through a grant organized thanks to the local Community Council group in the early 2000s, which allowed its extensive renovation.
Bedale, is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the North Riding of Yorkshire, it is 34 miles (55 km) north of Leeds, 26 miles (42 km) south-west of Middlesbrough and 7 miles (11 km) south-west of the county town of Northallerton. It was originally in Richmondshire and listed in Domesday Book as part of Catterick wapentake, which was also known as Hangshire ; it was split again and Bedale remained in East Hang. Bedale Beck is a tributary of the River Swale, which forms one of the Yorkshire Dales, with its predominance of agriculture and its related small traditional trades, although tourism is increasingly important.
Baillieston is a working class suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. It is about 7 miles (11 km) east of the city centre.
Wishaw is a large town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the edge of the Clyde Valley, 15 miles (24 km) south-east of Glasgow city centre. The Burgh of Wishaw was formed in 1855 within Lanarkshire. It formed a joint large burgh with its neighbour Motherwell from 1920 until its dissolution when Scottish local authorities were restructured in 1975, and was then in Motherwell district within the Strathclyde region until 1996. The town is part of the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency. It has the postal code of ML2 and the dialling code 01698.
Houston, is a village in the council area of Renfrewshire and the larger historic county of the same name in the west central Lowlands of Scotland.
Fauldhouse is a village in West Lothian, Scotland. It is about halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The nearest towns to Fauldhouse are Whitburn and Livingston. Other neighbouring villages include Longridge, Shotts and Stoneyburn. At approximately 750 feet above sea level, Fauldhouse is one of the highest villages in West Lothian.
Harthill is a rural village split between North Lanarkshire and West Lothian in Scotland, with most of the village in North Lanarkshire. It is located about halfway between Glasgow, 21 miles to the west, and Edinburgh, 25 miles (40 km) to the east. It lies on the River Almond about 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) west of the small town of Whitburn. The closest major towns are Bathgate, 6 miles (9.7 km) away, and Livingston, 10 miles (16 km) away. Major towns within North Lanarkshire, such as Wishaw, Airdrie, Motherwell, Coatbridge and Bellshill are all around 10 to 15 miles to the west. The M8 motorway bypasses the village and Harthill has a service station named after it.
Shotts is a small town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located almost halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The town has a population of about 8,840. A local story has Shotts being named after the legendary giant highwayman Bertram de Shotts, though toponymists give the Anglo-Saxon scēots as the real source of the name. Shotts is the home of the 2015 world champion pipe band, Shotts and Dykehead Caledonia Pipe Band.
The Kirk o' Shotts transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications site at The Hirst which lies just outside the village of Salsburgh which is near the town of Shotts in North Lanarkshire central Scotland.
The Diocese of Motherwell is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Scotland.
The South Calder Water, known locally as "The Cawder", or simply "Calder", is a river in Scotland. It runs west from the high plateau between Shotts and Fauldhouse to its joining with the much larger River Clyde.
Douglas is a village in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is located on the south bank of the Douglas Water and on the A70 road that links Ayr, on the West coast of Scotland, to Edinburgh on the East, around 12 miles south west of Lanark. The placename is of Gaelic origin, derived from the Old Gaelic dub and glais, meaning "dark stream", in reference to the Douglas Water. The Douglas family took this name when their ancestors settled here in the 12th century.
Shottskirk, more commonly known as Kirk O'Shotts Parish Church, or affectionately "The M8 Church", is a local parish church located in Salsburgh, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, and serves the village of Salsburgh, the town of Shotts and the hamlets in between. The last dedicated minister for this church was Rev. Sheila Spense who retired in 2000.
The History of Cambuslang is explained to a great deal by its geography. Now in South Lanarkshire, the town of Cambuslang is an ancient part of Scotland where Iron Age remains loom over 21st century housing developments. It has been very prosperous over time, depending first upon its agricultural land, then the mineral resources under its soil.
Bertram de Shotts is known locally as a legendary giant that roamed the then village of Shotts, Scotland in the 15th century. Shotts was then a dreary moorland place on the Great Road of the Shire. The road was an important route for tradesmen carrying their wares around Scotland. Bertram de Shotts habitually savaged packmen and peddlers for treasure carried along the Great Road. Such was the menace of Bertram de Shotts, King James IV of Scotland ordered his death. Bertram de Shotts was probably in fact seven or eight feet high, yet nonetheless, his presence merited Giant status.
Salsburgh is a semi-rural former coal mining village in greenbelt farmland within the district of North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The closest major towns to the village are Shotts, three miles southeast, and Airdrie three miles northwest.
Closeburn is a village and civil parish in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The village is on the A76 road 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) south of Thornhill. In the 2001 census, Closeburn had a population of 1,119. Closeburn is recorded as Killosbern in 1185. The first element of the name is Gaelic cill 'cell or church'. The second element is a saint's name, but none has definitely been identified.
St Fillan's Kirk, Seat and Well are located in the hamlet of Kilallan, once the main religious centre of the ancient parish of Kilallan or Killellan, close to Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire, Scotland. The old parish was united with Houston in 1760 although the church saw occasional use until 1771. The ruins of the kirk are a scheduled monument and the surrounding graveyard is a Listed Building. The ruins stand some 4 miles (6 km) west of the centre of Houston, just off the Kilallan Road.
Wallace's Well or Auchinleck Well is a historic well which in present times is a monument and tourist attraction, located on Langmuirhead Road near Robroyston in the Glasgow City council area, Scotland. William Wallace is said to have drunk from the well whenever he visited the area and also just before his capture by English troops commanded by Sir John Mentieth.
St Margaret's Well (NT271737) is a Category B listed holy well that was relocated to Holyrood Park off Queen's Drive in Edinburgh from Restalrig in 1860. It is one of seven wells located in the park.
Drumclog is a small village in South Lanarkshire, Parish of Avendale and Drumclog, Scotland. The habitation is situated on the A71, between Caldermill and Priestland in East Ayrshire at a height of 196.7m and about 5 miles west of Strathaven.