St Columba's Chapel, Barra (Mingulay)

Grid reference

NL 564 833 (accurate position)

Six-figure easting & northing

56400 783300

Latitude

56.813984508931185

Longitude

-7.632303354264

Altitude (metres)

5

County

Inverness-shire

Nearby places

Cladh Chriosd, Pabbay, Barra (3.68 miles)

Cille Bhride, Barra (Sandray) (7.53 miles)

Cille Bhrianain, eccl. Barra (Vatersay) (9.87 miles)

Barra, island Barra (12.22 miles)

St Michael's Chapel, eccl. Barra (12.45 miles)

Object Classification

Antiquity

Ecclesiastical

Is linear feature?

No

Notes

NMRS records: Supposed site of St Columba's Chapel, with graveyard (T S Muir 1885). Muir, about 1885, enquired about the existence of a chapel on Mingulay. The correspondent replied that the burial ground was in a ruinous condition, and the "oldest inhabitant" did not know of one. Name Book 1878; T S Muir 1885. The medieval chapel of St Columba and the surrounding graveyard are situated to the E of the township of Mingulay immediately N of the burn that runs through the township, and are partly inundated by sand. A section of its foundations are visible at the NW corner of the sand-covered mound and are well-constructed in stone. It probably measures at least 10.4m from E to W by 4.8m transversely over walls up to 1.6m in thickness and 0.6m in height. The surrounding graveyard is roughly oval and is enclosed by a drystone wall, which is deeply covered by sand on the NE. The tips of eight gravestones were visible projecting from the sand to the S of the chapel and also a concrete slab with a crosshead. This site has been recorded by Buxton (1981) and latterly by Branigan and Foster (2000). MING03 228. Visited by RCAHMS (PJD) 4 April 2003. Chapel House, 1898, designed and built by John MacIntyre of Barra The ruin of a 'modern' gabled house with mortared masonry walls, comprising priest's house on the ground floor, with St. Columba¿s Chapel (reached by a forestair) above. Set above the village at a dignified distance, the house retains, even as it collapses, something of its former symbolic presence. The altar, made by the Mingulay joiner John Mackinnon, is now in the Catholic church at Castlebay. Just discernible above engulfing sand on the burn-side burial knoll, a fragment of St. Columba¿s Chapel, of 8th century origin. Taken from "Western Seaboard: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Mary Miers, 2008.

http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/

Relationships with other parishes

Within Barra, parish aka Kilbarr

Within Barra, parish aka Kilbarr