St. Maelrubha's Church

NC50NE 11 5806 0726.

(NC 5806 0726) Church (NAT) (Site of)

OS 6" map, Sutherlandshire, 2nd ed., (1908)

The site of the parish church dedicated to St Maelrubha and on record in the early 13th century. The last church to stand on the site was built in 1794, and was in use until 1844 when a new church was built at NC 583 065. A font in the form of a granite block stood at NC 5806 0724 in 1873. (See also NC50NE 15).

Orig Paroch Scot 1855; Name Book 1873; OS 6" map, Sutherlandshire, 1st ed., (1873)

The graveyard has now been extended to the north and east. Only a slight mound amid the headstones indicates the site of the church. The font could not be found.

Revised at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (W D J) 25 June 1963.

At NC 5807 0726 within the graveyard is a squared-off block of mortared masonry, into which has been inserted two ornamented grave slabs dated 1742 and 1765 respectively. The masonry measures 2.3m long, 1.8m high and 0.5m thick. According to the gravedigger this is the remains of the north wall of the church but no architectural features survive to verify this, and it may have been built specifically to accommodate the grave slabs. The grave-digger states that the footings of the east wall of the church were visible until the graveyard was extended. All of these features occur close to the site published on OS 6"map, 1st ed., (1908). There is no trace and no local knowledge of the granite font. The graveyard is still in use.

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (N K B) 9 August 1976.

This site was examined as part of an archaeological desktop and walkover survey before a new water main was laid in the area.

S Farrell 2004