MHG45328 - St. Ninians Chapel, Nonakiln
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- CEMETERY (18th Century to 20th Century - 1701 AD to 2000 AD)
Protected Status
Full Description
NH67SE 20 6621 7124.
St. Ninian's Chapel (NR) (Ruin) OS 6" map, Ross-shire, 2nd ed., (1907)
About a mile N of Alness village is burying-ground of Nonikilm. In the burying ground are the ruins of the church believed to be St. Ninian's, which fell in 1714 (MacDonald, Polson and Brown 1931) Killinianan or Nonakiln (Bain 1899).
In churchyard was found part of a slab incised with what could be spectacle ornament. The slab has now disappeared, but there is a cast of it in NMAS which was presented by James Flaws, Castlehill, Wyre, through J M Corrie, FSA Scot (PSAS 1931).
R Maclean 1886; R Bain 1899; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1930; D MacDonald, A Polson and J Brown 1931. <1>-<4>
All that remains of this chapel is W gable 8.2m long standing to roof height and containing a small rectangular door with a small arched window above. A modern stone-walled yard has been built on to E face of the gable.
Visited by OS (W D J) 11 May 1963.
The W gable still survives of this chapel. There are several graveslabs of probable 17th-century date in the burial-ground. The decorated slab (cast in RMS (NMAS): IB 216) is possibly of Early Christian date.
RCAHMS 1979, visited September 1978.
Visited during the Highland Kirkyards project, run by Highland Buildings Preservation Trust. Historic graveyard with two stone burial enclosures probably incorporating parts of the earlier medieval chapel. The site shows a distinct change in level to the surrounding landform and has many burial including those marked by flat slabs underfoot. The burial ground is enclosed on four sides and is roughly rectilinear, although with a curved boundary on the west side. The original church sat on the higher part of the ground with east-west orientation. The burial ground is not thought to be in current use, no recent burials. <5><6>
The cast of the slab is listed in the NMS catalogue under Acc. No. IB 216. <7>
Sources/Archives (9)
- --- SHG2592 Text/Publication/Volume: Noble, J. 1909. Religious Life in Ross. 179.
- --- SHG2670 Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1979. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The archaeological sites and monuments of Easter Ross, Ross and Cromarty District, Highland Region. . 27, No. 232.
- <1> SHG1704 Text/Publication/Article: Maclean, R. 1886. 'The Parish of Rosskeen', Trans Gaelic Soc Inverness Vol. 12 1885-6, p.324-39. Trans Gaelic Soc Inverness. 324-39. 338.
- <2> SHG1941 Text/Publication/Volume: Bain, R. 1899. History of the ancient province of Ross. 57.
- <3> SHG570 Text/Publication/Article: PSAS. 1931. 'Donations to and purchases for the Museum and Library', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 65 1930-1, p.8-20, 256-61, 382-4, 408-13. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 8-20, 256-61, 382-4, 408-. 11.
- <4> SHG2437 Text/Publication/Volume: MacDonald, Polson and Brown, D, A and J. {1931}. The book of Ross, Sutherland and Caithness, Orkney and Shetland: descriptive, historical and antiquarian notes. 51-2.
- <5> SHG25133 Collection/Project Archive: Robinson, B; Scott, M; Wright, A. 03/2010. Highland Kirkyards: Ross and Cromarty. Highland Buildings Preservation Trust. 29/07/2010. Paper (Original).
- <6> SHG25134 Image/Photograph(s): Highlands Buildings Preservation Trust. 2009. Photographs of Ross and Cromarty Kirkyards. Colour. . Digital.
- <7> SHG28278 Dataset/Database File: National Museums Scotland. 2019. Highland Finds from the NMS Catalogue. National Museums Scotland. Digital. IB 216.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NH 6623 7124 (60m by 59m) Surveyed |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NH67SE |
| Geographical Area | ROSS AND CROMARTY |
| Civil Parish | ROSSKEEN |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (3)
Related Investigations/Events (0)
External Links (2)
- http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM5572 (Online designation description (Historic Environment Scotland))
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/13747 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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