Description

The monument consists of the remains of a medieval chapel.

The chapel, which according to different sources is dedicated to St Michael or to St Brendan, survives as the turf-covered foundations of the walls. It has an unusual plan, being one of only two examples in the Western Isles with nave and chancel separated by a wall pierced by a narrow doorway.

This dividing wall is not turf-covered. The nave is some 7m long internally, the chancel 2.5m. The walls are up to 1m thick and of lime-mortared rubble construction. The area to be scheduled consists of the chapel itself and an area 2m wide around it, being a rectangle 14.5m E-W by 6.5m N-S, as indicated in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as the site of an early ecclesiastical establishment, dating perhaps from the 12th century AD. Although much reduced, its unusual plan (echoed at, or echoing, St John's, Bragar) is of interest, and the monument may reveal, upon further examination and study, important information relating to the origins of parish structure and the development of ecclesiastical architecture in the Western Isles.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NF 60 SW 1.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland