Eigg, Cleadale, St Donnan's Roman Catholic Church, Presbytery

Cleadale House was constructed in the late 18th century by Angus MacDonald of Laig. Originally intended for his sister, its first inhabitant was Neil Mackay, a famous fiddler, who exchanged houses with the parish priest and moved across the island to Sandavore. The house then served as both presbytery and church. A new church was begun in 1910 on a new site a little way to east, though it was still under construction in 1913. The old house was then demolished and a new presbytery was built adjacent to the church. The new house is built of harled rubble, most probably using stones robbed from its predecessor. No architect has been discovered yet for either of the buildings: the involvement of the Marquis of Bute has been suggested, though there appears to be no real evidence of this. In 1913, Robert Thomson, proprietor of the island, bequeathed a pair of silver candlesticks and a Spanish oil painting depicting the descent of Christ to the church.

Information from 'RCAHMS Excursion Guide 2002: Commissioners' field excursion, The Small Isles, 23-26 September 2002'.