Ancient Chapels & Modern Churches in Tiree
Chapels
When
St.Colomba was spreading Christianity from Iona, a number of little chapels
appeared on Tiree. Many of these have disappeared cut the ruins of some
remain and arc well worth investigation. Behind the Lodge Hotel at Kirkapol
are two ancient chapels. One of these, the smaller. stands on an isolated
rock. and is thought bv some authorities to be much more the anicent of
thc two without assigning a date to it. Circumstantial evidance suggusts
that it was dedicated to St.Columba. The larger chapel, standing within
a small enclosed burial ground, was the old parish church and is considered
to date from the late Middle Ages, probably 14th century. It was also dedicated
to St. Columba. Thc little churchyard surrounding this church is still in
use and contains s(ome well preserved and interesting ancient stab stones.
In the sand dunes at Kilkenneth there is another ancient chapel which as
its name implies was dedicated to St. Kenneth, founder of a monastery in
Ireland and friend of St.Colombo. A small bronze bell discovered there some
seventy years ago is now in the custody of the Duke of Argyle at Inveraray.
Behind Rossdhu at Kenovay is the site of St.Finan's chapel and burial ground.
It is believed, because of the tiny graves, that still-born children were
buried there. This chapel is hard to find as only the grass covered foundations
remain. On the Travee side old Kenavara, just before the extreme S.W. point
of Tiree and above the shore, stands thc remains of St.Partick's chapel,
dating from the Early Christian period. About 60 yards NEE. of the chapel
there is a well defined swallow- hole (sometimes called a sink-hole) known
as St Patrick's Vat: thin is referred to locally as the wishing well.
One of the first Columban chapels once stood in Soroby burial ground but
there are no traces now left, although a few architectural fragments survive
as burial-markers There are some interesting carved stones to be found here
including an Early Christian massive bossed cross, some Medieval stabs and
two 18th century table tombs.
Modern Churches
Close by the magnificent sweep of Gott Bay in the parish of Kirkapol stands the Parish Church built to serve the eastern half of the island. This building replaced an earlier parish church that had stoood in Scarinish - according to one authority on the rocky out-crop behind the harbour quay opposite the Hotel.
At the crossroad at Heylipol is the Parish Church for the west end, buit of native granite in cruciform style. The pulpit, carved in an intricate Celtic Design, was worked by the boys of the parish. This church built in 1906 is supposedly based on the format of Iona Catherdral. Both Kirkapol and Heylipol churches are Church of Scotland.
In the township of Balemartine it is the Baptist Church.
There are a number of redundant church buildings scattered around the island, symbols of a much larger population. At Ruaig and at Cornaigbeg there are the two old Congregational Chapels, at Baugh an old Baptist Church (now used as a hill), at Balinoe an old Church of Scotland serving as a church hall and housing the Play Group, while at Cornaigmore is yet another Church of Scotland which has become a dwelling house. At Kirkapol to the east of the Lodge Hotel stands the old Free Presbyterian Church used for a period as a knitwear factory and now standby empty.