Monument record MHG11754 - St. Findbarr's Monastery, Dornoch

Summary

No summary available.

Location

Grid reference Centred NH 7990 8950 (100m by 100m) (Buffered by site type)
Map sheet NH78NE
Geographical Area SUTHERLAND
Old County SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish DORNOCH

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

(Area: NH 799 896) Findbarr of Cork (died 610) is said to have founded a monastic establishment at Dornoch, where fo parish church (NH78NE 18) was dedicated to him.
Between 1127 and 1153 David I ordered Reinvald, Earl of Orkney and others to respect 'the monks who live at Dornoch'. (Reg. de Dunfermelyn 1842) Since no other record of a monastery at this date is known Easson (1957) suggests this could apply to a surviving Celtic establishment and Cowan agrees that this may have been site of a 'monasterium' or minister and further suggests that this could have been an influencing factor in development of see at Dornoch.
Scott (1915) maintains that the remains of buildings found during excavations for the Public School (NH 7991 8968) probably in mid 19th century were those of St Finbarr's monastery. These foundations were of two types - square and mortared, and rounded and unmortared 'of the usual early Celtic type'.
A B Scott 1915; C D Bentinck 1926; W J Watson 1926; Information from 'Map of Dornoch' by J F Wyness 1926; D E Easson 1957; I B Cowan 1964.

No further info. Visited by OS (A A) 31 March 1971.

Sources/Archives (6)

  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Bentinck, C D. 1926. Dornoch: cathedral and parish. opposite 142.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Cowan, I B. 1964. Corrections and additions to Easson. 27.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Easson, D E. 1957. Medieval religious houses in Scotland: with an appendix on the houses in the Isle of Man. 94.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Reg Dunfermline. 1842. Registrum de Dunfermline.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Watson, W J. 1926. The history of the Celtic place-names of Scotland: being the Rhind lectures on archaeology (expanded) delivered in 1916. 272-3, 338.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Scott, A B. 1915. 'Chapters in the history of the church of the Picts (ii)- S. Finbarr of Caithness and Ulster', Trans Gaelic Soc Inverness Vol. 27 1908-11, p.20-30. Trans Gaelic Soc Inverness. 20-30. 24.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

Jan 28 2008 12:00AM

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