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Summary

Description

1230, largely reconstructed 1530-58; earlier 15th century

Chapel of Holy Cross abuts north aisle. Roofless cruciform

building, red Tarradale random rubble with polished ashlar

dressings. Centre round-headed entrance in gable (re-modelled

in mid 16th century) with moulded jambs and paired slender

nook shafts; 3 long pointed-headed windows fill west gable,

with (empty) niche immediately above doorway and below cill

of centre window. Small cusped occulus in gable apex.

13th century fenestration survives north and south aisle

walls, including shaped triangular clerestory windows with

spherical tracery. Buttressed chancel with remains of

large 15th century east window (no tracery survives) and later

Y-tracery windows in north and wouth walls.

Late 15th century angle stair turret at N transept.

Interior; mural tomb to Prior Mackenzie (d.1479)

reconstructed in 16th century, in south wall of crossing and

to Sir Kenneth Mackenzie (d.1491) opposite in north wall;

double piscina in south wall of chancel with linked pointed

headed hoodmould; square aumbry below window cill in centre

east wall.

North aisle contains private burial enclosure of Mackenzie

family.

Statement of Special Interest

Guardianship Monument, No 90031. Stepped base and stump of former

Beauly market cross sited just outside main entrance to

Priory and burial ground is Scheduled Monument. Repaired

cross shaft stored at Priory. Beauly one of 3 Valliscaulian

Priories, all founded in 1230, daughter houses of the austere

French order established by 1206 in Val de Choux, Burgandy.

(Other two Scottish Priories were Pluscarden, Moray and

Ardchatten, Argyll.) Chapel of Holy Cross, of which there

are only scant remains, erected by Hugh Fraser of Lovat

(1416-40); building repaired by Prior Mackenzie (d.1479) and

largely reconstructed by Prior Robert Reid, a notable

builder, also Abbot of Kinloss and Bishop of the Orkneys.

Prior Reid was ruler of Beauly from 1530 until his death in

1558. Prior Reid's arms displayed in niche in west front.

References

Bibliography

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