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Latitude: 57.0475 / 57°2'51"N
Longitude: -6.3521 / 6°21'7"W
OS Eastings: 136149
OS Northings: 803581
OS Grid: NG361035
Mapcode National: GBR BBP2.Z3T
Mapcode Global: WGY8S.D4D3
Entry Name: Kilmory, settlement, old burial ground and cross shaft, Rum
Scheduled Date: 30 September 1997
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
Source ID: SM6891
Schedule Class: Cultural
Category: Crosses and carved stones: cross-incised stone; Ecclesiastical: burial ground, cemetery, graveyard;
Location: Small Isles
County: Highland
Electoral Ward: Caol and Mallaig
Traditional County: Argyllshire
The monument consists of a post-medieval settlement, an old burial ground and a cross shaft. The burial ground was scheduled in 1968 and is now to be incorporated within the settlement as a whole.
The township of Kilmory was evacuated in 1828 and its remains have been undisturbed. It comprises sixteen derelict blackhouses and a burial ground situated along the W side of the Kilmory River. The houses are built of thick drystone walls and range in size from 3.5m by 2.7m to 10.5m by 3.5m; they are staggered along a sunken road. Around the township are the remnants of extensive rig and furrow cultivation. The settlement is depicted in the Blaeu Atlas (17th century).
The burial ground consists of a raised D-shaped enclosure (14.5m by 12.2m internally) formed by a drystone wall. Amongst the grave slabs lies a 7th- or 8th-century cross-marked pillar of hard sandstone measuring 1.6m long. This is carved with Latin crosses on two sides. One of the incised Latin crosses surmounts a long-shafted four-petalled marigold cross.
The area to be scheduled is irregular on plan with maximum dimensions of 430m N-S by 165m E-W as marked in red on the accompanying map extract, to include the settlement, its associated burial ground and the cross shaft which lies within the burial ground.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
The monument is of national importance as the settlement has been undisturbed since its abandonment in the early part of the 19th century. It is in a very good state of preservation and has the potential to provide important information on post-medieval (and possibly earlier, indicated by the presence of the cross shaft) settlement and economy.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
Bibliography
RCAHMS records the monument as NG30SE 1 and NG30SE 8.
References:
Blaeu, J, 1654, Orbis Terrerum.
RCAHMS 1928, The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Ninth report with inventory of monuments and constructions in the Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles, Edinburgh.
RCAHMS 1983, The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The archaeological sites and monuments of Rhum, Lochaber District, Highland Region, The archaeological sites and monuments of Scotland series No. 20 Edinburgh, 9, 11.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
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