Description

This monument comprises the remains of a 13th-century chapel. The chapel was presumably built to serve the nearby castle of Faslane (now destroyed). The building is roughly 13m long by 7m wide. Both the N and S walls have been largely demolished down to their footings before being rebuilt in dry stone.

The E gable contains a pair of lancet windows with deep interior splays. The N wall retains an aumbry at its east end and the start of a window splay. To the E of the chapel is a small bank which may be the last remnant of a sub-circular enclosure.

The area to be scheduled is defined to the S by the N face of the modern cemetery wall, to the W and N by the S edge of the road in the cemetery and to the E it extends 5m out from the E gable of the chapel.

The post-medieval grave stones within this area are excluded from the scheduling, as are burial plots with active burial rights at the date of scheduling. The area is irregular on plan and measures approximately 35m E-W by 25m and is marked in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

This monument is of national importance as the remains of a 13th-century chapel of some quality. Although the N and S walls have been largely dismantled, the planning of the building is still apparent.

The chapel appears to have seen comparatively little encroachment by later burials and therefore offers significant archaeological potential to provide information about this building in particular and about the organisation of the medieval church and society in general.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NS 28 NW 1.00.

References:

Chalmers, G. (1887-94) Caledonia: or a historical and topographical account of North Britain, 7 vols + index, Vol. 6. 910, Paisley.

Fraser, Sir W. (1869) 'The chiefs of Colquhoun and their country, Vol. 2, 107-8, Edinburgh.

Irving, J. (1860) The history of Dumbartonshire [sic]: civil, ecclesiastical and territorial, with genealogical notices of the principal families in the county: the whole based on authentic records, public and private, 415, Dumbarton.

MacGibbon, D. and Ross, T. (1896-7) 'The ecclesiastical architecture of Scotland from the earliest Christian times to the seventeenth century', 3v, Vol. 2, 557-9, Edinburgh.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland