Field Visit

Date 15 June 1978

Event ID 921813

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/921813

The ruins of the chapel as described by Muir survive to gable height; the 18th century brick-built chimney within it is virtually complete. Around the chapel on all but the seaward side is a curving retaining wall now turf-covered and tumbled, 1.0m. maximum height, which incorporates slabs of living rock in its course. It encloses an area about 45.0m. east-west by 33.0m. north-south, but it is interrupted by later rectangular building footings presumably associated with the 18th century kelp industry; further rectangular buildings and walls occur in the enclosed area.

This curving wall probably demarcates the burial ground, but no grave-slabs can be seen.

Local tradition asserts that a 'monastery' existed on Nave Island around the chapel, and this may be correct, the aforementioned wall delineating the boundary. Watson (1926) has indicated a Celtic foundation from place-names evidence and the nearby hill name Carn a Mhanaich, Cairn of the Monk is significant. The situation on a small off-shore island is typical of a Celtic Monastic site. No beehive cells can be identified, but the whole area is devastated by later structures, and without excavation the site cannot be classified with certainty.

Surveyed at 1:10 000.

Visited by OS (N K B) 15 June 1978