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St Dubhthach's Church and Burial Ground

A Scheduled Monument in Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh, Highland

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Coordinates

Latitude: 57.2339 / 57°14'1"N

Longitude: -5.4043 / 5°24'15"W

OS Eastings: 194635

OS Northings: 821042

OS Grid: NG946210

Mapcode National: GBR F91L.M9S

Mapcode Global: WH0BJ.YFPS

Entry Name: St Dubhthach's Church and Burial Ground

Scheduled Date: 13 December 2000

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM9207

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Ecclesiastical: church

Location: Kintail

County: Highland

Electoral Ward: Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh

Traditional County: Ross-shire

Description

The monument consists of the former parish church and burial ground of Kintail (dedicated to St. Duthae or Dubhthach who is thought to have died about 1065). Nothing is otherwise known of the origins of the church. It was used in 1719 as a hospital for the Jacobite wounded in the Battle of Glenshiel and, in consequence, was burnt by the Government forces (perhaps shelled by Hanovarian ships).

It was later repaired and was still in use in 1836 and probably remained so until the present church was built in 1856. The area inside the church walls is the burial ground of the chiefs of the clan Macrae.

The church is orientated E-W with the four walls still standing to roof height. The structure is a simple unicameral oblong, constructed from random rubble with roughly dressed quoins. The S wall is pierced by a doorway with chamfered jambs perhaps dating to the 16th century.

There are square-headed windows, now robbed of their dressings, in the S wall and the gables. There are extensive remains of plaster on the interior of the west gable, which appears to show the position of the post-reformation pulpit.

The area to be scheduled includes the church and the old burial ground, in which associated archaeology can be expected to be found. The area is irregular with maximum dimensions of about 79m from its eastermost point to its westernmost, and 30m transversely as marked in red on the attached map. All modern burial lairs still in use, within and without the church, are excluded from the scheduling.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a medieval parish church, which continued to function as a place of worship after the reformation. Its role in Battle of Glenshiel and its partial destruction by Hanovarian troops accentuates its importance.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NG 92 SW 3.

Bibliography:

Gifford, J. (1996) The Buildings of Scotland: Highland and Islands, Penguin Books.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

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