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Rona, Church Cave

Cave (Period Unassigned), Preaching Site (Period Unassigned)

Site Name Rona, Church Cave

Classification Cave (Period Unassigned), Preaching Site (Period Unassigned)

Alternative Name(s) Uamh An Fhuamhaire

Canmore ID 76458

Site Number NG65NW 2

NGR NG 6270 5696

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/76458

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

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Administrative Areas

  • Council Highland
  • Parish Portree
  • Former Region Highland
  • Former District Skye And Lochalsh
  • Former County Inverness-shire

Recording Your Heritage Online

The mission church and manse of 1912 have recently been renovated as holiday lets. Formerly, the islanders worshipped in Uaimh an Fhuamhair (giant's cave) on the east of the island. The pulpit was a stone pillar beneath the cave's arched opening, to the right of which was the font - a hollow in the rock fed by water dripping from the cave roof. The pews were rows of boulders.

Taken from "Western Seaboard: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Mary Miers, 2008. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk

Archaeology Notes

NG65NW 2 6270 5696

(Previously unlocated ). 'Prior to the construction of the church at Acarseid Thioram in 1912, the population of Rona worshipped in a cave on the E side of the island. The entrance to the cave is akin to a large gothic arch beneath which is a low stone pillar which served as a pulpit. To the right of the pulpit there is a depression in the stone floor which was fed by a drip of water from the cave roof. This depression was used as a font. Inside the cave there are rows of stones used as pews by the congregation. Reputedly even after the church at Acarseid Thioram was built, the infants born on Rona were taken by their fathers to be baptized at the cave. The church cave was last used in the 1970s...'

Strutt and Parker 1992.

NG 6270 5696 Church Cave, Rona. Large cave containing an altar and stone benches. Two test pits were dug, one in a midden area and one in an area of cave earth. Both were located towards the rear of the cave.

Sponsors: HS, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, British Academy

K Hardy and C R Wickham-Jones 2002.

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