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Saint Nathalan (or Nachlan), (died 678) is a saint in the
Nathalan was born in the village of
/ref> He also built churches at Bothelim and Colle. He was a nobleman who possessed a large estate, which he cultivated; he distributed his harvest generously to the poor.
/ref> Nathalan is reputed to have built the first small chapel on the windswept clifftop at
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, who was active in the district now known as Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland.
It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...
, Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
.
Life
Nathalan was born in the village of Tullich
Tullich (, ) is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is known as the birthplace of St. Nathalan and also as the site of some noted Pictish stones.
The church is the site of a ruined church, built in around 1400. It has been suggested that th ...
, for which he was eventually appointed as bishop
A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
. The 16th century Aberdeen Breviary portrays Nathalan as a rich nobleman who decided to cultivate the earth and devote himself to God as a hermit.
The earliest church in Tullich was founded by Saint Nathalan in the 7th century."Tullich Church", Deeside Walks/ref> He also built churches at Bothelim and Colle. He was a nobleman who possessed a large estate, which he cultivated; he distributed his harvest generously to the poor.
/ref> Nathalan is reputed to have built the first small chapel on the windswept clifftop at
Cowie Cowie may refer to:
People
*Cowie (surname)
Places
*Cowie, Aberdeenshire, an historic fishing village located at the north side of Stonehaven, Scotland
**Cowie Castle, a ruined castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland
**Chapel of St. Mary and St. Nathal ...
sometime during the 7th century.
Legend
According to legend one very rainy summer the great saint, in a moment's weakness, cursed the rain which was hindering the harvest. In penitence for his great sin in cursing God's creation, Nathalan padlocked his right arm to his right leg, tossed the key into the River Dee and set off to walk toRome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
to seek forgiveness. Upon reaching Rome he sat down to supper. However, when he cut open the fish laid before him he found the very key that he had thrown into the Dee many months previously. A pool in the river nearby is still known as "the key pool" for this reason.
Legacy
St NathalanRoman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
Church, Ballater
Ballater (, ) is a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on the River Dee, immediately east of the Cairngorm Mountains. Situated at an elevation of , Ballater is a centre for hikers and known for its spring water, once said to cure scrofula. ...
is named for him. One of the stained glass windows in the baptistery of the Church of St. James the Great in Stonehaven honours St Nathalan.
Ballater's Masonic Lodge, founded in May 1815, is named "The Lodge of St Nathalan of Tullich-in-Mar" and is number 259 on the roll of the Grand Lodge of Scotland
The Grand Lodge of Antient Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland is the governing body of Freemasonry in Scotland. It was founded in 1736. About one third of Scotland's lodges were represented at the foundation meeting of the Grand Lodge.
Histo ...
.
St. Nathalan is one of the saints depicted in the Millennium Murals at St. Mary's Cathedral, Aberdeen.
References
Sources
* Watt, Archibald, ''Highways and Byways aroundKincardineshire
Kincardineshire or the County of Kincardine, also known as the Mearns (from the Scottish Gaelic meaning "the stewartry"), is a Shires of Scotland, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area on the ...
'', Stonehaven
Stonehaven ( ) is a town on the northeast coast of Scotland, south of Aberdeen. It had a population of 11,177 at th2022 Census
Stonehaven was formerly the county town of Kincardineshire, succeeding the now abandoned town of Kincardine, Aberd ...
Heritage Society (1985)
See also
* Chapel of St. Mary and St. Nathalan {{authority control History of Aberdeenshire People from Marr, Scotland 7th-century Christian saints Medieval Scottish saints Canonizations by Pope Leo XIII 678 deaths Year of birth unknown