Christ's Chapel, St Kilda, Harris

Grid reference

NF 100 993 (accurate position)

Six-figure easting & northing

10000 899300

Latitude

57.812932409377275

Longitude

-8.57064675653892

County

Inverness-shire

Nearby places

St Columba's Chapel, St Kilda, Harris (0.18 miles)

St Kilda, island, Harris (0.56 miles)

St Brianan's Church, St Kilda, Harris (0.65 miles)

Object Classification

Ecclesiastical

Is linear feature?

No

Notes

This may be the Chapel referred to in about the 1670s (Geog. Coll. iii, 29) in these terms: 'There is a Chappel in the midst of the Isle, where they meet twice or thrice a day. One of the families is hereditary Bedell, and the Master of that, stands at the Altar and prayeth the rest kneel upon their knees & join with him. Their Religion is the Romish Religion'. NMRS records: Christ Church, or chapel, was described by Martin, in 1698, as a thatched building with graveyard attached (100 paces in diameter) fenced in by a stone wall (M Martin 1934). According to Macaulay, in 1764, it was a drystone building (24ft x 14ft), the largest of the three island chapels (K Macaulay 1764). It was in ruins when seen by Wilson (J Wilson 1842) in 1842, who refers to it as the 'chapel of St Mary', which was apparently the same as the 'Christ's Chapel' of Macaulay & Martin. Nothing remained when Mathieson (J Mathieson 1928) surveyed the island in the early 1920's. Sands (J Sands 1878) states that the ruins stood in the churchyard. He also remarks that a stone (incised with a cross) (NF19NW 1.01), from the church, was built into a nearby cottage, and in 1956 (K Williamson and J M Boyd 1963) a stone-slab of this description was found by R Ritchie of the MoW (Ancient Monuments) built into the wall of cottage No.16 (NF 0989 9929) immediately next to the E window. The stone probably dates back to the 7th or 8th centuries. Information from OS (BRS) 14 April 1966. K Macaulay 1764; J Wilson 1842; J Sands 1878; J Mathieson 1928; M Martin 1934; K Williamson and J M Boyd 1963.

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

Relationships with other parishes

Within Harris, parish