St Columba's Chapel
Chapel (Period Unassigned), Cross (Period Unassigned), Well (Period Unassigned)
Site Name St Columba's Chapel
Classification Chapel (Period Unassigned), Cross (Period Unassigned), Well (Period Unassigned)
Canmore ID 6451
Site Number NC80NE 1
NGR NC 8502 0906
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/6451
- Council Highland
- Parish Clyne
- Former Region Highland
- Former District Sutherland
- Former County Sutherland
St Columba’s Chapel, Oldtown, Sutherland, cross-slab
Measurements:
Stone type:
Place of discovery: NC 8502 0906
Present location: lost.
Evidence for discovery: the Statistical Account of 1794 records the discovery and re-erection of ‘a stone cross’, and the OS Name Book records that around 1825 a stone with ‘a cross and other figures sculptured upon it’ was found close to the traditional site of the chapel.
Present condition:
Description
This lost slab appears to have been carved in relief.
Date:
References: Stat Acct vol 10, 304; OS Name Book vol 5, 11.
Compiled by A Ritchie 2016
NC80NE 1 8502 0906.
(NC 8502 0906) St. Columba's Chapel (NR) (Site of)
OS 6" map, (1964)
Kilchalumkill seems to have been a consecrated place of interment. 'At some little distance from it a year or two ago a gentleman making out part of the high road, found a stone cross, which was immediately erected in the place where it was found and is still to be seen there'.
Statistical Account (OSA) 1794.
The supposed site of St. Columba's Chapel no trace of which now remains. 'About AD 1825 some workmen employed collecting stones in the vicinity of the site of the chapel came upon a stone having a cross and other figures sculptured upon it. This stone was placed in a wall near to where it was found, but afterwards removed by some unknown party."
Name Book 1872.
Cill Chaluim Chille, St. Columba's Church, was one of the seven churches of Strathbrora. MacKay mentions an associated well dedicated to the saint. The property, under various spellings of the name, is on record from the 15th century.
Orig Paroch Scot 1855; A MacKay 1914; W J Watson 1926; A D S Macdonald and L R Laing 1973.
There are no definite traces of St. Columba's Church or Chapel At the published site is the vague outline of a rectangular building, 15m by 4m, defined by a few boulders and damaged by Vehicle tracks. Other walling is evident. A few metres to the east is a spring, possibly St. Columba's Well, though this name is not known locally.
Visited by OS (E G C) 16 July 1961 and (N K B) 10 December 1975.
