St Erat
St Erat (also recorded as St Heriot) was, according to tradition, a 5th-century holy man notable for bringing Christianity to Inverkeithing in Fife, Scotland.
St Erat | |
|---|---|
 Stained glass of Inverkeithing Parish Church depicting St Erat preaching in front of his early wooden church and well in Inverkeithing. | |
| Born | c. 5th century |
| Residence | Inverkeithing |
Life
[edit]Tradition suggests St Erat was born in the 5th century AD. St Erat is said to have been a follower of St Ninian, an early missionary among the Pictish peoples of what is now Scotland.[1][2][3]
In Stephen's The Story of Inverkeithing and Rosyth (1938), he notes:
St Erat... occurs in Fife as St Erhad, Erthad or Erthat. The Fife forms in turn are regarded as dialectic adaptations of St Yrchard, who, a native of Kincardine O'Neil and a convert of St Ternan, the Ninianic Missionary, flourished in the period 450-500 AD.[3]
St Erat is said to have established the first church in Inverkeithing around 500AD, on the site of the current Inverkeithing Parish Church.[4][5]
Dedications
[edit]A chapel on the grounds of Fordell Castle is dedicated to St Erat.[6][2]
An ancient well, formerly known as St Erat's well, stands in Heriot Street (after St Theriot, an orthographic variation of St Erat).[7]
Heriot Street Sign south, Inverkeithing.
Heriot Street sign north, Inverkeithing.
Historicity
[edit]The first written references to St Erat are in a sasine of 1588, which makes reference to St Erat's well. The well is first recorded in a charter of 1219. The form St Herriot appears in 1686.[7][6]
In the late 19th century, tradition seems to have developed that St Erat arrived in Inverkeithing in the 5th century, as well as his connections with St Ninian.[6]
The ancient well, and a chapel at nearby Fordell, are the only recorded dedications to St Erat or Heriot in Scotland; and there are no contemporary documents nor archaeological evidence that confirm the local tradition.[6]
Inverkeithing Parish Church has a dedication plaque commemorating St Erat's founding of the first church in Inverkeithing.[8]
References
[edit]- ↑ "St. Peter's Church of Scotland, Inverkeithing | Places of Worship in Scotland". powis.scot. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
- 1 2 James Wilkie, Bygone Fife. From Culross to St Andrews. Traditions, Legends, Folklore and Local History of “The Kingdom” (Edinburgh, 1931), p. 38-39.
- 1 2 William Stephen, The Story of Inverkeithing and Rosyth (Edinburgh, 1938), pp. 13-14.
- ↑ "Inverkeithing from The Gazetteer for Scotland". www.scottish-places.info. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
- ↑ "CHURCH STREET, INVERKEITHING PARISH CHURCH (ST PETER'S BUILDING; CHURCH OF SCOTLAND) INCLUDING CHURCHYARD AND BOUNDARY WALLS (LB35086)". portal.historicenvironment.scot. Archived from the original on 2025-05-28. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
- 1 2 3 4 "Church/Chapel of St Erat, Inverkeithing". sacredlandscapesoffife. tt27@st-andrews.ac.uk. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - 1 2 "Inverkeithing, Heriot Street,... | Place | trove.scot". www.trove.scot. Retrieved 2026-02-26.
- ↑ "DUNFERMLINE EUROWALK – EuroWalks". Retrieved 2026-02-26.