Craigton, Dounreay
Chapel (Medieval), Well (Period Unknown)
Site Name Craigton, Dounreay
Classification Chapel (Medieval), Well (Period Unknown)
Canmore ID 7246
Site Number NC96NE 1
NGR NC 9812 6690
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/7246
- Council Highland
- Parish Reay
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Caithness
- Former County Caithness
NC96NE 1 9812 6690.
(NC 9812 6690) Chapel (NR) (Remains of)
(NC 9809 6693) Spring (NAT)
OS 6" map, Caithness, 1st ed., (1872)
The remains of a pre-Reformation chapel now consisting of only an angle of walling a foot or two high. It is not known when the chapel fell out of use nor to which saint it was dedicated, but it is well known in the district.
About 40 yards from the chapel, in a small crevice at the foot of the cliff, there issues a tiny stream of water which falls into an artificial basin 18ins in diameter and about 6ins deep. It is roughly cut and is certainly not natural, since the fall of the water is not sufficiently strong to have created it. This is supposed to be the holy well of the chapel.' In 1840 it was known ony as a mineral spring.
New Statistical Account (NSA) 1845; Name Book 1873.
The area of the chapel is too disturbed to identify the foundation, and no further information was obtained. the 'well' is as described, but there is no local knowledge of its being a holy well.
Visited by OS (N K B) 20 November 1964.
Both chapel and well have been destroyed by development at the Dounreay Atomic Energy complex.
Visited by OS (J B) 7 September 1981.
