Monument record MHG39860 - Cemetery, St Tustan's Chapel

Summary

Site of St Tustan's Chapel and possible cemetery remains. Only a slight turf covered rise and stony ridge now remain.

Location

Grid reference Centred ND 3170 6937 (200m by 200m) (Buffered by site type)
Map sheet ND36NW
Old County CAITHNESS
Civil Parish CANISBAY
Geographical Area CAITHNESS

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

All that is visible at chapel site, in margin of a field adjacent to Brabstermire House, is a turf-covered rise approximately 22m E-W by 14m transversely by 0.5m high, much broken up by cattle using it as a feeding point; random stones were noted. Outside E end of rise a slight stony ridge may indicate course of burial ground wall. The minister at Canisbay and local people had no knowledge of a name applying to chapel site.
Visited by OS (J M) 28 April 1982.

St Custan's Chapel (NR) (site of) OS 6" map, (1960)

The dedication is a corruption of Drostan, late 6th century, which might indicate a Celtic origin for this chapel, but building seen exposed by Beaton (1909) consisted of a nave, 19 by 11ft, and a chancel, 8ft square, walls being 4ft thick, dry-built and plastered with shell-lime internally. At that time (c1909) baptismal font was in Brabster House (known since at least 1873 as Stonyhill: ND 321 697, now in ruins). By 1910 chapel remains had been re-covered (RCAHMS 1911).
D Beaton 1909; RCAHMS 1911, visited 1910; W J Watson 1926.

St Tustan's Chapel (NR) (Site of), Graveyard (NR) (Remains of)
OS 6" map, Caithness, 2nd ed., (1873)

A chapel dedicated to St Tustan stood on a small eminence. No vestige of it remains but several old people remember having seen part of it. Its garveyard is defined by an old bank about 2 chains (40.2m) long and 130 links (26m) broad. Some of old people can remember its being used for burial.
Name Book 1873.

Sources/Archives (5)

  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Beaton, D. 1909. Ecclesiastical history of Caithness and annals of Caithness parishes. 49.
  • --- Text/Report: RCAHMS. 1911. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Third report and inventory of monuments and constructions in the county of Caithness. . 21, No. 57.
  • --- 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. 317.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Name Book (County). Object Name Books of the Ordnance Survey. Book No. 2, 111.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: George Watson. Caithness Chapel Sites.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

Jan 28 2008 12:00AM

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