Documents

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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.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM2356_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600008587)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises the remains of an early medieval chapel and surrounding burial ground. The monument lies at 90m above sea level, within rough grassland on ground sloping to the E. The monument was last scheduled in 2002, but an inadequate area was included to protect all of the archaeological remains: the present rescheduling rectifies this.

The chapel and the enclosing wall of the burial ground are visible as low turf-covered banks built into the gently sloping hillside. The chapel measures 5.5m NE-SW by 3m NW-SE internally, within walls approximately 1m thick, and has an entrance in the S wall. The burial ground measures approximately 18m NNE-SSW by 15m transversely and is enclosed by a turf-covered wall up to 1.5m in width. A possible annex to the burial ground extends up to 5m beyond the wall on the WNW side, indicating that the burial ground may have been enlarged at some point during its history.

The area to be scheduled is irregular on plan. It includes the remains described above and an area around them in which evidence relating to their construction and use may survive, as marked in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

Cultural Significance

The monument's cultural significance can be expressed as follows:

Intrinsic characteristics

The chapel and burial ground are in good overall condition. The chapel is likely to have been of drystone construction, with the stone walls now reduced to turf-covered wall footings.

The dating and chronology of early Christian sites such as this can be difficult on survey evidence alone, but one clue at this site was the discovery of a small, carved cross-slab in about 1960. Measuring 0.41m by 0.34m, the slab is incomplete at the base and damaged along the edges, but it is ornamented with an incised ribbon-cross with plaited centre which terminates in a loose triquetra knot. Its style is indicative of Irish influences and it probably dates from the 10th century, suggesting that the chapel may also date from the 10th century, or earlier. The slab was probably a grave-marker, and its design may have been modelled on similar examples from Glendalough and Iona.

This site has the potential to enhance our understanding of the origins and development sequence of an early and simple ecclesiastical site, including the relationship between the chapel and the burial ground. The interior of the burial ground is uneven and stones are visible occasionally beneath the turf. There are no other obvious grave-markers, although more may be present given that carved stones have been found at the site in the past.

Excavations of similar sites elsewhere in Scotland and Ireland have revealed rich and varied archaeological remains. The chapel and burial ground at Cill Eileagain is thought not to have been disturbed by earlier excavations or alterations, and it survives largely intact. It is therefore highly likely that important early Christian, and possibly medieval, deposits survive, which could contribute towards our understanding of early church construction and burial practices, and the origins, nature and duration of use of early ecclesiastical sites in western Scotland. Any skeletal remains could also reveal evidence for health, diet, illness, cause of death and possibly occupational activities. There is also potential for the survival of additional carved stones on the site. These could help us to refine the dating sequence for the site, as well as contributing towards our understanding of early Christian art and sculpture. The monument has the potential to enhance our understanding of the organisation and spread of Christianity in Argyll.

Contextual characteristics

This is a fine example of a small, early Christian chapel and burial ground. Small rural chapels with surrounding burial grounds are particularly common on Islay, with at least 15 known examples, which is interesting in itself. Such sites provide distinctive evidence for Irish influence in Scotland during the early medieval period, a crucial period in Scotland's history, and can help us to understand early political developments, as well as the origins and spread of Christianity. The likely 10th-century and later date for this site is also noteworthy as it may provide rare evidence for the Norse period in Islay. Study of this chapel site, and its comparison with similar examples in Islay, could also help to enhance our understanding of the nature of religious provision for the lay population, and the evolution and development of Christian centres.

The site appears to be in a fairly isolated location in terms of both present day settlement and broadly contemporary sites, although several later medieval sites lie relatively close by: the settlement, burial ground and chapel at Finlaggan is less than 2km to the SW, and another chapel and burial ground is sited at Keills, approximately 1.5km to the SE.

Associative characteristics

The site is depicted on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map as Cill Eileagain, 'Chapel (site of)'. The place-name 'cill' is Gaelic, meaning 'church' or 'burial ground' and supports its early origins as a place of worship for the lay population.

The monument is of national importance as the remains of an early ecclesiastical site. The place-name indicates that a church and burial ground was constructed at this site to serve the lay population. Important archaeological remains relating to the origins, use and development of the site in the early Christian period are expected to survive, including burials and possibly additional carved stones. Its significance is enhanced by its capacity to be compared with similar sites in Islay. The loss of the monument would significantly diminish our ability to understand and appreciate the origins and nature of secular worship and the development of early Christian sites in Islay and more widely across the west of Scotland.

References

Bibliography

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.

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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.