Shiant Islands, Eilean Mhuire, St Mary's Chapel
Chapel (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Shiant Islands, Eilean Mhuire, St Mary's Chapel
Classification Chapel (Period Unassigned)
Canmore ID 11408
Site Number NG49NW 1
NGR NG 4306 9860
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/11408
- Council Western Isles
- Parish Lochs
- Former Region Western Isles Islands Area
- Former District Western Isles
- Former County Ross And Cromarty
NG49NW 1 4306 9860
There is a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary on 'Island-More' (Eilean Mhuire) of the Shiant Isles.
M Martin 1934
There are three Isles in the group, lying off the East side of Lewis. Chambers says the term Shiant seems to mean the holy place or plane of spirits, and appears to have been conferred on these islands merely from having once possessed a religious monastic establishment. The National Library of Scotland, among the 'Uncatalogued MSS of General Hutton'. and numbered 140 in Vol.1, illustrates the 'Place and Ruins of St Mary's Chapel.
The remains of this chapel situated at NG 4306 9860 consists of turf-covered wall-footings, indicating internal measurements of 4.8m E-W by 3.6m transversely. The well-built walls, apparently bonded with lime mortar, vary in thickness from 0.9m in the S and E and 1.1m in N to 1.3m in the W. The doorway which appears to have an inward splay, is at the W end of the S wall. There are traces of an enclosure wall to the W, probably the graveyard and about 10.0m to the SE there is what appears to be a later sheep-shelter. Name nor dedication not confirmed.
Visited by OS (N K B) 7 July 1969
Awaiting DES 2000 entry (2000/p.95).
This chapel site was included in a research project to identify the chapel sites of Lewis and surrounding islands. The Lewis Coastal Chapel-sites survey recorded 37 such sites. A topographic EDM survey was carried out as part of the survey.
R Barrowman 2005
Project (1 June 2000 - 15 June 2000)
The Shiants are a small group of three habitable islands with assorted small stacks and reefs located between the islands of Skye and Lewis. During the first two weeks of June 2000 an archaeological landscape survey and the partial excavation of a blackhouse complex was undertaken on the Shiant Islands with a team of MA students and professionals from the Czech Republic.
Survey
The three main islands, House Island (Eilean an Tighe), Rough Island (Garbh Eilean) and Mary Island (Eilean Mhuire), were subjected to a systematic ground survey, and as many as possible were recorded by measured drawings, often stone by stone, the rest being recorded by measured field sketches. Most of the sites seem to belong the modern or Early Modern period. However, not unexpectedly, a number of these sites appear to be located on or utilise earlier sites and their stonework. In total 112 sites were located and recorded, 31 on House Island, 46 on Rough
Island, and 35 on Mary Island.
P Foster 2000
Note
Title: Chapel-sites on the Isle of Lewis: Results of the Lewis Coastal Chapel-sites Survey
Journal: SCOTTISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL INTERNET REPORTS (e-ISSN: 2056-7421)
Author: Barrowman, R C
Publisher: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Edinburgh
Date: 2020
MCE (2023): Reviewed as part of the GAPR. Publication was completed in 2020. Open Access publication with SAIR. Publication grant-aided by HES.
