Skye, Dunvegan, St Mary's Church

Heritage listing

Date Added 08/12/2000 Type Crosses and carved stones: tombstone, Ecclesiastical: burial ground, cemetery, graveyard; church Local Authority Highland Parish Duirinish NGR NG 25492 47822 Coordinates 125492, 847822 — The monument consists of the remains of a post-Reformation parish church and burial ground, which served Duirnish. The churchyard is still known as Kilmuir as is the adjoining township, preserving the dedication to St Mary. The dedication, together with the E-W alignment of the church and the existence of three medieval carved grave slabs, indicates that the church was a medieval foundation, although the parish itself dates to the post-reformation period. The church is a plain rubble-built oblong structure with simple stone dressings to the openings. The W gable is surmounted by the truncated remains of a corbelled belcote. The N door to the church has a fine moulded doorway which is inscribed 'I ML 1694'. There are indications that this door has been reused from another building: it is rebated for double doors, and appears to have been heightened. The ashlar burial aisle against the E end of the N elevation is an addition dating to the 18th century. A burial enclosure against the west gable has a fine moulded doorway dated 1735 and a balustrade. The E end of the church and the N aisle have been used as the burial place of the MacLeods of MacLeod, with arched recesses formed in the church's walls to house the memorials. Within the Kirkyard there are two medieval grave slabs with claymore and foliaceous designs. A third medieval grave slab has been identified but it is extremely worn with only the border now visible. There are also a number of 'throuch' stones dating from the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries. The area to be scheduled includes

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.