Scheduled Monument

Keills Cross, cross and church 200m ENE of KeillmoreSM90176

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
30/11/1981
Last Date Amended
15/03/2000
Type
Crosses and carved stones: tombstone, Ecclesiastical: burial ground, cemetery, graveyard; church; church, Secular: settlement, including deserted and depopulated and townships
Local Authority
Argyll And Bute
Parish
North Knapdale
NGR
NR 69144 80530
Coordinates
169144, 680530

Description

This monument consists of an Early-Christian cross, the church of St. Cormac, a large number of grave stones and the traces of a substantial settlement around them.

The church dates from the late 12th century and was re-roofed in 1978 to house the carved stones of the site. The most important of these is the Early-Christian cross which stood to the NW of the church. The cross stands over 2m tall and is densely carved on both faces. It now stands at the E end of the church.

The church also houses approximately three dozen carved stones dating from the Early-Christian period to the 17th Century. The church is a simple rectangle with a door in the W end of the N wall, three small windows in the chancel, one in each of the N, E and S walls and a third window in the south wall opposite the door.

Beyond the graveyard of the church there was a substantial settlement, the building terraces of which are still visible. To the SW of the chapel site is a drystone enclosure for vegetable cultivation.

The area to be scheduled includes all the above elements. It is defined to the SE by the edge of the road to Keills Port, to the SW by a line running ESE-WNW 10m out from the drystone cultivation enclosure, to the NW by a line running SSW-NNE 20m out from the wall of the burial ground and to the NE by a line defined by the drystone dyke approximately 40m NE of the burial ground.

The area measures approximately 170m from its northernmost to its southernmost points, by 150m from its easternmost to its westernmost points, and is marked in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

This monument is of national importance because it is a site with history of ecclesiastical occupation dating back to at least the late 8th Century. The range and quality of carving on the site indicates that it was a church of some importance in the area, probably because of its association with the pilgrimage site of Eilean Mor. Unusually this site has clear evidence of associated settlement around it. The archaeology of the site has the potential to greatly expand our knowledge of the middle ages in Argyll, in particular non-defensive settlement and the relationship between secular and ecclesiastical life.

References

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NR 68 SE 2.

Bibliography:

RCAHMS, 1992, The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Argyll: An inventory of the monuments: Volume 7: Mid-Argyll and Cowal: Medieval and later monuments, Edinburgh, 83-93, No. 45.

Historic Environment Scotland Properties

Keills Chapel & Cross

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/keills-chapel-and-cross

Find out more

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: 02/05/2024 23:41