Teampull Moire,churches,chapels and enclosures,Howmore

Heritage listing

Date Added 20/12/1939 Last Date Amended 11/05/1993 Supplementary Information Updated 27/01/2023 Type Ecclesiastical: chapel; church; enclosure Local Authority Na h-Eileanan Siar Planning Authority Na h-Eileanan Siar Parish South Uist NGR NF 75826 36479 Coordinates 75826, 836479 — The monument is a large mound bearing the remains of a group of ecclesiastical structures, representing two churches, at least two chapels and two burial enclosures. The early history of the site is not clear, but it was of considerable importance under the Lordship of the Isles and, in the 16th century, was S Uist's chief church. The remains occupy a raised area, encircled by a stone bank, roughly oval in plan, which is probably the oldest visible element on the site, the area having been used for burials over a very long period. On this mound lie the foundations of two churches, Teampull Moire (St Mary's) and Caibeal Dhiarmaid (dedicated to St Columba), oriented almost E-W and nearly aligned, with Teampull Moire lying some metres W of Caibeal Dhiarmaid. On the summit of the mound, NE of Caibeal Dhiarmaid, lies a small chapel, Caibeal Clann ic Ailean (Clan Ranald chapel). To its N and NW lie two burial enclosures, confusingly called chapels, respectively Caibeal na Sagairt and Caibeal nan Ministear, the latter built in 1855 at the same time as a four-sided graveyard wall which links Teampull Moire, Caibeal Clann ic Ailean and the two burial enclosures, Caibeal Dhiarmaid lying within the graveyard. Outside this wall, on the S edge of the mound, lies an isolated chapel foundation, referred to locally as Caibeal Dougal. Of each church, only the E gable survives to any height, while the walls of the chapels and burial enclosures are rather better preserved. The area to be scheduled is the whole fl

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.