Tongue, St Andrew's Church
Church (17th Century) (1680), War Memorial(S) (20th Century)
Site Name Tongue, St Andrew's Church
Classification Church (17th Century) (1680), War Memorial(S) (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Tongue Parish Church; War Memorial Plaques; War Memorial Roll Of Honour
Canmore ID 5336
Site Number NC55NE 3
NGR NC 59086 57041
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/5336
- Council Highland
- Parish Tongue
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Sutherland
- Former County Sutherland
NC55NE 3.00 59086 57041
NC55NE 3.01 NC 59065 57031 Graveyard
NC 5908 5703 St Andrew's Church (NAT)
OS 6" map (1962)
The church of Tongue parish, which was disjoined from Durness in 1726, was built in 1680 and virtually rebuilt in 1731 or 1728-9. An aisle from 1680 remains, and the Reay loft erected in the same year was removed in 1951 and is now in the National Museum of Antiquities, Edinburgh.
The church occupies the site of a chapel which according to MacKay was dedicated to St Peter; the nearby glebe lands are named Peter's Field. The village name "Kirkiboll" indicates a foundation of the Norse period. H Morrison 1883; A MacKay 1914; H Scott 1915-61; W J MacKay 1962
An unpretentious building on the T-plan with the date 1860 over a door in the west wall of the south transept. It is in use for public worship.
Visited by OS (JLD) 25 April 1960
No change to previous field report.
Visited by OS (JB) 15 September 1977.
Mr George Hay states that he has recorded this to some extent.
RCAHMS Notes:
The church was recorded in 1996 as part of the RCAHMS Listed Buildings Recording Programme.
Clear physical evidence of medieval remains was not forthcoming, although it has been suggested that the building incorporates pre-Reformation stonework (see Historic Scotland Lists). The uniform plastering of the interior and the harling of theexterior may, however, obscure the evidence. The barrel-vaulted chamber beneath the laird's loft has few diagnostic features and its vault has been repaired using cement and shuttering.
The Reay Loft, which was dismantled in 1951 and removed from the church c.1960, is now in the care of the Royal Museums of Scotland (Collection no. KL 163). It has Tuscan columnar supports with Corinthianesque capitals. The main panel is decorated with a band of repeated floretts and scrollwork enclosing an elaborate monogram (partly restored) consisting of the letters of D and M combined. This almost certainly refers to Donald MacKay, Master of Reay, and the Loft can therfore be dated c.1680.
RCAHMS NMC 1996.
