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All the United Kingdom Scotland Highland Clootie Well
AO Edited

Clootie Well

A pagan tradition of draping trees with rags eerily lives on.

Highland, Scotland

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Allison Meier
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Clootie Well   Amanda Slater/CC BY-SA 2.0
Clootie Well   Amanda Slater/CC BY-SA 2.0
Clootie Well   Amanda Slater/CC BY-SA 2.0
  lauraanneholloway / Atlas Obscura User
Looking into the wellhead   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
Its rather creepy at night!   katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User
  carlozuccaro / Atlas Obscura User
Cloots tied to tree branches   Jooniur
trail board and information at the Clootie Well carpark.   rugby007 / Atlas Obscura User
Cloots on a line   Jooniur
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
  stephmcmahon / Atlas Obscura User
  stephmcmahon / Atlas Obscura User
A colorful array of clootie offerings.   erinculley / Atlas Obscura User
sign post at the Clootie Well carpark   rugby007 / Atlas Obscura User
  lauraanneholloway / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Hidden in the woods of Scotland's Black Isle is a grove of trees covered with rags. Known as a Clootie Well, this is one of several remains of a Celtic tradition that goes back to calling on water spirits for healing.

Clootie Wells—taking their name from the Scottish word for cloth—can be found around the UK in Scotland, Ireland, and England. However, the one near Munlochy on the Black Isle is among the most popular, where on any day you can descend into the forest and be shrouded in the shadow of thousands of bits of cloth knotted on the tree branches. Sometimes even whole pieces of clothing are in the trees as if on a curious clothesline.

The ritual is a pagan one that has continued into contemporary spirituality. As a rag is left to rot at the Clootie Well, it's hoped that some pain or sickness will fade with it. It's bad luck to remove any of the offerings. 

Forestry Commission Scotland encourages visitors to continue to bring rags to the Munlochy Clootie Well, although does request that they be biodegradable — the better with which to please nature's spirits. 

Related Tags

Occult Rites And Rituals Celtic

Know Before You Go

Look for the green Forestry Commission sign for the "Clootie Well" off the A832 to a small free parking loop.  The short path to the Clootie Well is marked with a post, and there is a small interpretive board that provides some context and background.

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Added By

Allison

Edited By

hrnick, rugby007, jooniur, erinculley...

  • hrnick
  • rugby007
  • jooniur
  • erinculley
  • stephmcmahon
  • rbenn250
  • katielou106
  • lauraanneholloway
  • carlozuccaro

Published

August 25, 2014

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Sources
  • http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/heritage/scottish-fact-of-the-week-clootie-well-1-2986206
  • http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/2011/03/rags-ditches-mysterious-celtic-clootie-wells/
  • http://www.nothingtoseehere.net/2009/07/clootie_well_munlochy_1.html
  • http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/munlochy/clootiewell/
  • http://www.explore-inverness.com/what-to-do/outdoors/munlochy-clootie-well/
Clootie Well
Highland, Scotland
United Kingdom
57.552697, -4.273611
Visit Website

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