Reference

Date 2001

Event ID 922794

Category Documentary Reference

Type Reference

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/922794

RCAHMS; Early Medieval Sculpture in the West Highlands and Islands

This island is situated 1.2km from the W coast of Bute and measures 3.2km from N to S by 1.2km in maximum width (a). It was divided into three farms, but the steadings of Southpark and Midpark lie adjacent on the raised terrace above the principal landing-place on the E shore. The island takes its name from Marnock, an affectionate form of the Irish name Ernan (b). It was said by Fordun in the late 14th century to have a monastic cell (cella monachorum), and Blaeu's atlas shows a church at 'Kildauanach' ('church of the monks'). These references are probably to the parish church of 'Inchemernolz', whose revenues were transferred about 1360 to the Cistercian abbey of Saddell from the Cluniac house at Crossraguel in exchange for a church in Ayrshire (c). The range of sculpture from the site suggests, however, that a monastic settlement of some kind existed in the early Christian period.

The masons building a nearby farmhouse in 1718 'carried away sundry stones out of the chappell', but its position is shown on an estate-map of 1769, and the 'ruin' was referred to by Pennant in the same year (d). It was 'entirely removed' by the tenant farmer in the first half of the 19th century, and its site was recorded in 1863, some 35m N of Midpark farmhouse (e). Excavations by the family of the then tenant in 1973-4 revealed the footings of a small nave-and-chancel church measuring about 11.7m by 6.2m over all (f). The masonry was of slabby local schist set in lime mortar, with dressings of red sandstone. The S walls preserved a chamfered plinth, and the S respond of the chancel-arch had twin attached shafts of 12th-century character. A slab-lined burial cist occupied the inside of the S wall of the chancel and a sword-decorated coped stone of 13th-century type lay inside the N wall.

'Many human bones and relics of sepulture' indicated that the stackyard surrounding the church had been used for interments (g). Hewison also refers to a 'Women's Burial-place' a short distance to the N, and to adjacent short-cist burials which are no longer visible (h). Several carved stones were found in this area in the late 19th century, while others were found in boundary-walls or in the chapel itself in 1972-4. Except for no.(8), which remains in the church, and no.(13) which is in the Museum of Scotland, the stones described below are now in Bute Museum, Rothesay.

Footnotes:

(a) For prehistoric and medieval finds see Marshall 1963, 5-16; Marshall 1980, 15-18.

(b) Hewison 1893, 1, 127-35; Watson 1926, 291-2; Black 1890, 441-3.

(c) Chron. Fordun, 1, 43; Blaeu's Atlas (Bute); Highland Papers, 4, 142-4; Cowan 1967, 85-6; Black 1890, 440-1. The island also belonged to Saddell Abbey, and subsequently to the bishop of Argyll, who in 1540 was receiving a rental of #20 (Reg Magni Sig Reg Scot, 4 (1546-80), no.2115).

(d) Hewison 1893, 1, 133; estate-map in Bute Estate Office (information from the late Miss D N Marshall); Pennant, Tour (1772), 1, 164. 'Considerable parts of the walls' still remained c.1815 (Ross, W 1880 (ed.), Blain's History of Bute (1880), 94).

(e) Name Book, Bute, No.5, p.65; OS 6-inch map, Argyll and Bute sheet 214 (1863/9). Hewison (op.cit., 134) refers to the removal of graveslabs about 1829.

(f) The Commissioners are indebted to Miss Jessica Middleton and the late Miss D N Marshall for information about the excavations. See Marshall 1973, 21; Marshall 1980, 16-17; Marshall 1990, 5-6; measured and photographic surveys of church, 1975, in NMRS.

(g) Name Book, loc. cit.

(h) Hewison 1893, 1, 133, 222-3.

(i) For the suggestion that a central fragment is missing, see Marshall, D N, 'Carved stone cross from Inchmarnock', TBNHS, 23 (1990), 5-7.

(j) Bailey 1980, 196, 204-6; Ritchie 1994, 73, 117-20, 125.

(k) Black 1890, 438.

(l) Hewison 1893, 1, 223. A slab-lined grave was found at the same place (Black 1890, 438).

(m) The Commissioners are indebted to Professors M Barnes and R I Page for access to material from their forthcoming Corpus of runic inscriptions (item no. SC10).

I Fisher 2001, 77-9.