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MHG58964 - Burial Ground - Canna, A' Chill

Summary

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Type and Period (3)

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Full Description

St Columba's Chapel and burial ground were destroyed in the mid 19th century during land improvements, and the present burial ground at NG 2690 0544 was inaugurated about 90.0m to the S. The sculptured grave slab, probably from the old burial ground, is still within the W half of the modern burial ground, but lies loose.
Visited by OS (A A), 30 May 1972.

The modern burial-ground at A'Chill lies at the foot of the W flank of a ridge of outcrop; it is said to have replaced an earlier burial-ground associated with St Columba's chapel (MHG3179) which was levelled in 1851 when the adjacent township (NG20NE 45) was cleared of tenants. Within the burial-ground, there are the grass-grown stone wall-footings of what may be a chapel, measuring 6.45m from ESE to WNW by 3.8m internally; the walls survive to a height of 0.9m, but they range in thickness from 0.6m along the sides to 0.9m at the ends. Five cross-incised stones, three of them pillar stones (one of which is broken in two) and a fragment of a millstone, can also be found within the burial-ground. A mortuary enclosure dedicated to the MacNeill family abuts the E face of the W wall.
A narrow cave in the ridge of outcrop, its mouth visible to the S of the burial-ground, is said to have been used to store the long poles used for carrying the coffins.
(Canna 160, 929)
Visited by RCAHMS (ARG, IF), 11 April 1995.

Some 100m to the SSW of St. Columbas Chapel and Burial Ground, on the W slope of the rocky ridge, there is a small rectangular burial-ground bounded by a stone wall of late 19th-century date. The burial-ground contains five early stones (nos.1, 4, 6, 7, 10,) and a crudely-carved graveslab of late 16th or early 17th-century type. Other carved stones which were found in this burial-ground or in nearby field-walls have been removed for safe-keeping to Canna House. See MHG5536 for carved stones. <1>

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 2691 0543 (60m by 60m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG20NE
Civil Parish	SMALL ISLES
Geographical Area	LOCHABER

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