Founding fathers

A further banner from the Book of Deer exhibition at Aden yesterday.

This one depicts the founding of the monastery of Deer by St Drostan who along with other followers of St Columba arrived by boat at Aberdour. They set up the monastery near the River Ugie, according to legend the site was called Deer for the tears (dera) Drostan shed for Columba when he moved on. Drostan's tears are shown in the centre of the panel.The name 'Deer' is more likely to have been derived from the Gaelic 'doire' meaning an oak grove.