Islay, Laggan

This site is gradually being eroded by the River Laggan and nothing now remains of the chapel, dedicated to St Columba, that was recorded by Graham in 1895. It measured about 7.5m by 3m internally and incorporated 'traces of an altar projecting about four feet (1.3m) from the east wall'. The S portion of the burial-ground, too, has disappeared, the surviving portion comprising a D-shaped enclosure measuring about 25m from E to W by 6.7m transversely within a bank some 1.8m in width and 1.5m in height. A few plain grave-markers are visible.

The following stones are in the Museum of Islay Life, Port Charlotte. Numbers 1 and 3 were discovered in the eroded river-bank by Mr R Hodkinson, Bowmore, in 1966 and 1964 respectively. Number 2 was removed in 1883 from Laggan to the grounds of Kildalton House, where it remained until 1977.

Early Christian

(1) [Canmore ID 318493] Slab of flaggy siltstone, probably derived from the Torridonian rocks of Islay. It is broken across, and the edges are damaged so that it is uncertain whether they were originally dressed. It now measures 1.06m in length by about 0.35m in maximum width, and bears an incised outline ringed cross with rounded armpits and an elongated upper arm. The cross-head has a broad triple-beaded ring, perhaps intended as two concentric rings, whose outer arc encloses the surviving side-arm. (Lamont, 1968).

Medieval

(2) Greater part of a tapered slab, 1.84m long; it is much worn, and lacks both the upper and lower left corners. Within a border of nail-head between two roll-mouldings, there is at the top a niche containing two figures Pembracing, followed by a sword flanked on the left by an animal and a plant-scroll. At the foot is a panel which may have been inscribed. (Graham, 1895), 14th-early 16th century.

(3) Lower part of the shaft of a free-standing cross, 1.02m high including a tapered 0.41m butt. The shaft, which has roll-moulded angles, tapers in width from 0.19m at the junction with the butt to 0.13m, and has a uniform thickness of 45mm. On the front is the lower part of the figure of the Crucified Saviour, suspended on a cross raguly, while on the

back there is an undulating plant-stem rising from the tail of an animal and incorporating holly-leaves. (Lamont 1968; Steer and Bannerman 1977). Probably Loch Sween school, 14th early 16th century.

RCAHMS 1984, visited August 1974.

RCAHMS prepared a measured drawing of the Early Christian cross-marked stone from Laggan at 1:10 in 1982. The ink drawing of both fragments was published at a reduced scale of 1:15 (RCAHMS 1984, 224A).

Site of chapel, and burial-ground damaged by river-erosion.

(1) Slab, 1.06m by 0.35m, broken across and incomplete in width. It bears an outline double-ringed Latin cross with rounded armpits. (Museum of Islay Life).

I Fisher 2001.