Nonakiln
Burial Ground (Medieval) - (Post Medieval), Carved Stone (Early Medieval)(Possible), Chapel (Medieval) - (Post Medieval)
Site Name Nonakiln
Classification Burial Ground (Medieval) - (Post Medieval), Carved Stone (Early Medieval)(Possible), Chapel (Medieval) - (Post Medieval)
Canmore ID 13747
Site Number NH67SE 20
NGR NH 66227 71249
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/13747
- Council Highland
- Parish Rosskeen
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Ross And Cromarty
- Former County Ross And Cromarty
NH67SE 20 6621 7124.
(NH 66521 7124) St. Ninian's Chapel (NR) (Ruin)
OS 6" map, Ross-shire, 2nd ed., (1907)
About a mile north of Alness village is the burying-ground of Nonikiln. In the burying ground are the ruins of the church believed to be St. Ninian's, which fell in 1714 (MacDonald, Polson and Brown 1931) Killinianan or Nonakiln (Bain 1899).
In the churchyard was found part of a slab incised with what could be spectacle ornament. The slab has now disappeared, but there is a cast of it in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS) which was presented by James Flaws, Castlehill, Wyre, through J M Corrie, FSA Scot (PSAS 1930).
R Maclean 1886; R Bain 1899; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1930; D MacDonald,
A Polson and J Brown 1931.
All that remains of this chapel is the west gable 8.2m long standing to roof height and containing a small rectangular door with a small arched window above. A modern stone-walled yard has been built on to the east face of the gable.
Visited by OS (W D J) 11 May 1963.
Field Visit (September 1978)
Nonakiln, Chapel NH 662 712 NH67SE 20
All that survives of this chapel (dedicated to St Ninian), which is said to have collapsed in 1714, is the W gable. In the burial-ground there are several graveslabs of probable 17th century date. A decorated slab (now lost) and possibly of Early Christian date was also found in the graveyard; a cast of the slab is in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS 1 B 216).
RCAHMS 1979, visited September 1978
(Maclean 18'86, 338; Noble 1909, 179; Macdonald and Polson 1931, 51-2; PSAS, Ix
1 930-1 , 11)
Field Visit (2022)
NH 25831 61521-NH 66227 71249 Survey and recording undertaken of gravestones in 2021/2022. Visits were made to the following churchyards or burial grounds:
NH 25815 61624 Achnahalt (Upper; Canmore ID: 288571)
NH 25831 61521 Achnahalt (Lower)
NH 39685 61381 Garve
NH 49741 43928 Kiltarlity (Old; Canmore ID: 12381)
NH 53889 49214 Kilchrist (Canmore ID: 12672)
NH 31649 62677 Lochluichart (Canmore ID 267078)
NH 66227 71249 Nonakiln (Canmore ID 13747)
NH 30875 55235 Porin (Canmore ID 308517)
Recording Sheets to be lodged with the Highland Archives Inverness, with results to be published by the Highland Family History Society. Photos to be lodged with NRHE.
Stuart Farrell
