Scheduled Monument

Ardchattan Priory, priory, burial ground and carved stonesSM13644

Status: Designated

Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

Summary

Date Added
22/02/2016
Type
Crosses and carved stones: cross (free-standing); cross slab; cross-incised stone; tombstone, Ecclesiastical: burial ground, cemetery, graveyard; priory
Local Authority
Argyll And Bute
Planning Authority
Argyll And Bute
Parish
Ardchattan And Muckairn
NGR
NM 97135 34915
Coordinates
197135, 734915

Description

The monument comprises the remains of Ardchattan Priory and its associated buildings, burials and carved stones. This Valliscaulian priory was founded in 1230/1 and is located on the north shore of Loch Etive at 10m above sea level.

The visible elements of the priory include parts of the original 13th-century church: the south transept and its chapels, and elements remodelled during the 15th and early 16th centuries: the choir, burial aisles and a sacristy. The remains also include a significant collection of carved stones.

The scheduled area is irregular on plan, to include the remains described above and an area around them within which evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map. The scheduling extends up to but does not include the adjacent Ardchattan House. The scheduling excludes the surfaces of all tracks and paths and the above-ground elements of all modern enclosures, boundary features, services, signage and modern structures. The monument was first scheduled in 1923, but the documentation does not meet current standards: the present rescheduling rectifies this.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as a well-preserved example of a Valliscaulian Priory dating from 1230/1.  It has an inherent potential to make a significant addition to our understanding of the past, in particular the establishment, patronage and development of religious houses in Argyll and the West Highlands and the impact they had on contemporary life. The monument is also important for our understanding of how lordship was projected within a Gaelic context. The survival of standing fabric and buried remains of the priory and associated burial ground adds to its potential to contribute to the wider study of medieval ecclesiastical architecture within Scotland. The presence of a significant carved stone collection is important as it enhances our understanding of West Highland sculpture, funerary art and architecture, and memorial practices, as well as of medieval society and politics more generally. The loss of the monument would diminish our ability to understand the development and role of medieval monasticism in Scotland.

References

Bibliography

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland: http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/canmore.html CANMORE ID 23259.

The West of Scotland Archaeology Service SMR reference is WoSAS PIN 1424.

Cowan I B and Easson D E, 1976, Medieval religious houses in Scotland: with an appendix on the houses in the Isle of Man. London.

Fawcett R, 2002, Scottish medieval churches: architecture and furnishings. Stroud.

Fisher I, 2001, Early Medieval sculpture in the West Highlands and Islands, RCAHMS / Soc Ant Scot Monograph series 1. Edinburgh.

RCAHMS, 1975, The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Argyll: an inventory of the ancient monuments: volume 2: Lorn, no 217, 99-115. Edinburgh.

Historic Environment Scotland Properties

Ardchattan Priory

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/ardchattan-priory

Find out more

Related Designations

  1. ARDCHATTAN PRIORYGDL00019

    Designation Type
    Garden & Designed Landscape
    Status
    Designated

HER/SMR Reference

  • WoSAS PIN 1424

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

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Printed: 29/03/2024 09:54