Description

The monument consists of the foundations of a medieval chapel, and carved stones including two of the Iona school. The monument is on soils derived from basic rocks and bones may be expected to survive. In its immediate environment will be important death assemblages, for the chapel was the main focus for local burials before the 17th century and thus before Tobermory was founded. Documentation is good compared to that of most other chapels and suggests the Lord of the Isles exercised ecclesiastical patronage.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The better preserved of the two Iona School stones is important to the theme of late medieval stone carving. The importance of the chapel is to the elucidation of the quasi-parochial network of churches and chapels from the 13th century onwards and by extension to the theme of imposition of this system on the previous looser organisation based on Scandanavian models. This, with the likelihood of survival of death assemblages giving economic and ritual information not available from other sources, and the carved stones, makes the monument of national importance.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the site as 'Mull, Tobermory, St Mary's Chapel and Burial-ground', NM55NW 2.

References:

RCAHMS 1980a, AN INVENTORY OF THE MONUMENTS VOLUME 3: MULL, TIREE, COLL AND NORTHERN ARGYLL (EXCLUDING THE EARLY MEDIEVAL AND LATER MONUMENTS OF IONA), Edinburgh: HMSO, 163-5, No. 324.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland