Monument record MHG31393 - Cullicudden Church, graveyard

NH66NW 4 6496 6506.
Cullicudden Church (NR) (Ruin) OS 6" map, (1959)

Church was successor to St Martin's (NH 66SW 7) as parish church of Cullicudden and built 1609. A stone over doorway bears date. This church continued in use after union of Cullicudden and Kirkmichael church (NH76NW 1) became parish church.
When a new church was built at Resolis 1767, Cullicudden Church was allowed to fall into decay.
NSA 1845; Name Book 1875; H Scott et al 1915-61. <1>-<3>

Cullicudden Church, name being verified locally as such, is as described above. The date '1609' on stone lintel of doorway is still legible. SE wall of the church survives to a height of 3.5m and is 5m in length, and 0.8m thick, with the doorway centrally placed in it. SW and NE portions of wall are 0.7m wide but it is now impossible to say whether they are original side walls of church or not. Each survives to a maximum height of 1.3m and is 6m in length. NE wall has been re faced, and 3 modern gravestones have been built into the outer face. SW wall, which now appears to be original, has two gravestones set into its inside face, and is of the same construction as SE wall. The graveyard, which is still in use, has many old grave-slabs in it.
Revised at 1/2500. Visited by OS (R B) 1 January 1966.

The church, burial ground, dyke and gate piers were listed in 1971.

It would seem more logical for this church to have been oriented NE-SW, rather than NW-SE as implied by Bruce. The masonry of SW wall is of a poorer quality than that of undoubtedly original SE wall, suggesting it is later. A rectangle of tightly packed, mainly early 18th century, graveslabs immediately beyond it suggests that the church extended at least another 12m to SW, the graveslabs being placed either within the church or on site of its SW half. Three mid 17th century graveslabs occur in a burial enclosure to S of church. The oldest stone seen is dated 1600, and this, together with the top section of a pointed trefoil window of red sandstone laid on ground to W of church, suggests an earlier date than 1609, unless they were brought from elsewhere.
Visited by OS (A A) 18 June 1975.

Visited during the Highland Kirkyards project, run by Highland Buildings Preservation Trust. Rural kirkyard with old chapel ruins and stone burial enclosures on the north coast of the Black Isle overlooking the Cromarty Firth. Many built elements are clustered together along south side of boundary wall including, a stone wall memorial, burial enclosures and a set of stone steps which lead over the boundary wall. There are a range of gravestones of different styles and eras. There are a lot of flat slabs immediately south of the old chapel and beside the group of stone elements near the entrance. Otherwise there are also table tops and uprights. <4> <5>

The church and burial ground were Scheduled in 2013. <6>

The church and burial ground were delisted in 2014. <7>