Monument record MHG42200 - St. Maol Luag's Chapel, Raasay

See also:
NG53NW0067 Graveyard
J Aitken : 11/12/02
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NG53NW 1 5483 3663.

NG 5483 3663. St. Maol-luang's Chapel (NR) (In ruins).
OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1904)

St. Maol-luag's Chapel, Raasay, a church dependent on Lismore in Loan, the central community of St. Moluag, (A B Scott 1918) is described by Johnson as a chapel unroofed and ruinous. Its precincts were of old a sanctuary, which was marked by 8 erect stones or crosses mentioned by Martin as pyramids for deceased ladies, (NG53NW 4) some of which were remaining in 1773 (OPS 1854; M Martin 1934).
The ruins of the 13th century chapel (D MacGibbon and T Ross 1896-7) are situated within a small burial ground. Both gables and the larger portion of the S wall remain to their original height, but the N wall is now considerably broken down. There are a number of interesting features, details of which are obscured by obvious changes of ground level both internally and externally. The chapel is roofless, orientated NW-SE, and measures externally 52ft long, 24 1/2ft wide at the NW gable and 2ft at the SE gable. The walls are 3ft thick and there is evidence, especially in the S wall, of structual alterations at different periods. The original door was placed 16 1/2ft from the W end of the S wall, but it appears to have been built up and substituted by another doorway, traces of which can still be detected in the dilapidated N wall. There are windows in the E end of the W wall and N Wall, and the W gable. The W gable is intaken 10ins - 1ft at 10 1/2ft above the present interior level, and remaining joist-holes indicate that there was a gallery at this end. Similar joist-holes in the N and S walls near the E gable possibly indicate provision for a screen. There is a tomb recess in the S wall. There is a decorated cross-slab in the burial ground. (W D Simpson 1935).
D MacGibbon and T Ross 1896-7; Orig Paroch Scot 1854; A B Scott 1918; RCAHMS 1928; M Martin 1934; W D Simpson 1935.

St. Maol-luag's Chapel as described above. On the S side of the chapel is a small detached 19th century family burial vault of the Macleods of Raasay.
The burial ground is still used for the descendants of those interred there.
Visited by OS (A S P) 12 June 1961.

The decorated cross-slab mentioned by RCAHMS could not be found, otherwise no change.
Visited by OS (R L) 22 September 1971.


Class I symbol stone showing a tuning-fork above a crescent and V-rod.
A.Mack 1997.