Ruud Streefkerk

At nightfall we see the clouds over the coast of Applecross turn red. How did this place come about? The area in and around Applecross is said to be one of the earliest inhabited areas of Scotland. The hamlet of Sand, on the coast, is an important archaeological site. Historically, Applecross is associated with St. Máelrubai, an Irish monk, who had come to the British Isles in 671 to found an abbey in then Pictish territory. He names the settlement Aporcrosan (Pictish: confluence of the River Crossan). St. Máelrubai was the first abbot, he attained the age of 80 years. Many churches on Skye and in Northern Scotland are dedicated to this saint, for example the church on the holy Isle Maree (in Gaelic: Eilean Maolruibhe).