Desk Based Assessment
Date 1970
Event ID 817934
Category Recording
Type Desk Based Assessment
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/817934
NM76NE 1.00 75204 68276
NM76NE 1.01 Centred NM 75224 68301 Burial-ground
(NM 7520 6827) St. Finnan's Church (NR) (Remains of)
Burying Ground (NAT)
OS 6" map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1901).
Little is known of the early history of the chapel of Eilean Fhianain. It is perhaps built on the site of a cell which St. Finan had upon the island in the 7th century and the builder is believed to have been Alan MacRuaridh, one of the early Clan Ranald chiefs. The island was the burying place of the Clan Ranalds until the end of the 16th century.
The chapel became a ruin by the mid-17th century. The altar, however, remains, and on it stands a 6" high D.A. bell.
A circular brass brooch found in the burial ground was donated to the NMAS in 1896.
Information from OS.
Sources: Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1896; M E M Donaldson 1923; W J Watson 1926; S Gordon 1935.
