Archaeology Notes

Event ID 673598

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/673598

NM41NW 1 41198 19621

For present parish church (Bunessan kirk) at NM 3828 2181, see NM32SE 14.

(NM 4119 1961) Kilviceuen (NR)

Church (NR) (rems of)

OS 1:10000 map (1976)

Old Parish Church, Kilvickeon: This ruined church stands within its burial-ground close to the E shore of Loch Assapol. It measures 13.1m from E to W by 5.7m transversely. The N and S walls are almost entire, but both end-walls are reduced to a height of about 1m. The masonry is of local slabs and boulders; there is some evidence to suggest that the external wall-faces were formerly harled. The original roofing, at least, was of thatch. The entrance-doorway, situated towards the W end of the N wall, was a tall arch-pointed opening. A little E of the doorway a fragment of carved sandstone projects from the outer face of the N wall at a height of 2.4m above ground level. This carving, now greatly worn, appears to have been of the type known as a sheela-na-gig. The E part of the interior seems to have been divided off from the remainder by a timber screen.

Almost nothing is known of the early history of this church, which was evidently one of the seven medieval parish-churches of Mull, but the existing fabric may probably be ascribed to the 13th century. When the church first comes on record in the early 15th century it is described as the church of St Eugenius in Ross, but it has been shown that the dedication was more probably to Ernan son of Eoghan, a nephew of St Columba.

The building appears to have continued in use for worship until the erection of a new church at Bunessan in 1804, but by 1795 the fabric had become ruinous.

Within the ruined church is a grave-slab with an inscription, beginning HIC IACET LMA/RIOTA FIL IA... It probably dates to between 1500 and 1560.

The RCAHMS also describe a number of 18th century table-tombs and headstones, to be seen in the churchyard.

Orig Paroch Scot (1854), New Statistical Account (NSA 1845) and object Name Book of the Ordnance Survey (ONB 1878) in describing the church and churcyard, describe the parish name as formerly Kilviceuen.

J Orr 1938; RCAHMS 1980, visited 1974.

As described.

Surveyed at 1:10,000.

Visited by OS (DWR) 4 June 1972.