False Church

By the shore of Invertote, at the northern end of the island, there is a spot which bears an unusual name - The False or Lying Church or An Eaglais Bhreugach in Gaelic. In fact this is not a church but a rock, which in the distant past may have slipped and slid several hundred feet to the shore where it has since rested, creating a strong resemblance to a church. It is about 40 feet in height and 120 feet in circumference.

From above, the church opening in the rock is very like a church door. Folklore of the area has it that, here in the False Church, dark Satanic Rites were practiced by a Chief of a robber tribe called MacCoitier, whose own cave is to be found near Am Meaull just south of Portree.

In Martin Martin's 'Description of the Western Isles', published in 1703, he mentions that the False Church was last used for black magic in 1640. Others say that the MacQueen family, a sect of Clan Donald, who lived in this area practiced Taghairm (an evil rite) which allowed those who indulged in it to have an insight into hidden things of the future. On participation of the rite, the individual was supposed to be laid blindfolded on the stone at the door of the church, where he lay all night as the ebbing and the flowing waves brought strange supernatural beings to make contact with the hypnotised person on the stone.

No tradition of such dark and weird rites remains in the island now and as something unworthy and evil it is as well to be forgotten.


THE FALSE CHURCH
By the shore of Invertote, at the northern end of the island, there is a spot which bears an unusual name - The False or Lying Church or An Eaglais Bhreugach in Gaelic. In fact this is not a church but a rock, which in the distant past may have slipped and slid several hundred feet to the shore where it has since rested, creating a strong resemblance to a church. It is about 40 feet in height and 120 feet in circumference. From above, the church opening in the rock is very like a church door. Folklore of the area has it that, here in the False Church, dark Satanic Rites were practiced by a Chief of a robber tribe called MacCoitier, whose own cave is to be found near Am Meaull just south of Portree. In Martin Martin's 'Description of the Western Isles', published in 1703, he mentions that the False Church was last used for black magic in 1640. Others say that the MacQueen family, a sect of Clan Donald, who lived in this area practiced Taghairm (an evil rite) which allowed those who indulged in it to have an insight into hidden things of the future. On participation of the rite, the individual was supposed to be laid blindfolded on the stone at the door of the church, where he lay all night as the ebbing and the flowing waves brought strange supernatural beings to make contact with the hypnotised person on the stone. No tradition of such dark and weird rites remains in the island now and as something unworthy and evil it is as well to be forgotten.