The cave of St Molio in the Island of Lamlash, or Holy Island, on the east side of Arran, is a natural cavity in the sandstone rock, about twenty-five feet above the present tide-mark. Traces of a rudely-built wall across its entrance are still visible. A shelf of rock within the cave is known as ‘the Saint’s Bed;’ a large flat-topped rock close by with several step-like recesses cut in its circumference is called ‘the Saint’s Chair;’ and a fine spring of pure water, which is known as ‘the Saint’s Well,’ was formerly much resorted to for the healing virtues of its water. The Island of Lamlash appears in ancient documents as Helant-in-laysche or Almeslach, and this form of the name identifies it with St Molaissi or Laisren of Leighlin, a nephew of St Blane of Kingarth in Bute. His mother was a daughter of Aedhan, king of the Scots of Dalriada; and it is told of him, that in order to avoid being made king, he retired to an island in the sea between Alban and Britain—between the country of the Scots and that of the Britons of Strathclyde. This answers precisely to the situation of the Holy Island which is still associated with his name. There was a relic either of St Molaissi or of St Moluag of Lismore preserved in Arran down to the time of Martin’s visit to the island in the beginning of the last century. This was the _Baul Muluy_, a ‘green stone, like a globe in figure, about the bigness of a goose-egg,’ which was much used by the islanders for curing diseases and ‘for swearing decisive oaths upon it.’ It seems to have been in the hereditary custody of a family of Mackintoshes, and had also the reputation of having been anciently a _vexillum_ or battle-ensign of the Macdonalds of the Isles, carried with their host in their conflicts, in the belief that its presence would secure to them victory over their enemies. The cave of St Molio has several Runic inscriptions cut upon its interior—mere _graffiti_ of occasional visitors at the time when the galleys of the Northmen frequented the western seas. Amudar, Ontur, and Sea-elk, who have left their names there, may have been pagans; but Nicolas of Haen, who carved the longest inscription, bears a good Christian name. St Serf’s Cave at Dysart, in Fife, derived its sanctity—as the town of Dysart has derived its name—from its having been the _desertum_ or place of retirement of the saint during his seasons of meditation and prayer. The _Aberdeen Breviary_ states that ‘once upon a time the devil tempted the blessed St Serf with divers questions in the cave at Dysart; but confounded by the divine virtue, he went away; and from that day the said demon has appeared to no one in that cave, although the place is still held famous in honour of St Serf.’ Andrew of Wyntoun, prior of St Serf’s monastery in Lochleven, as in duty bound, gives, in his _Cronykill of Scotland_, a circumstantial account of this disputation with the Evil One: