Context
The site, located on the western coast of North Uist, is marked on the OS 6-inch map as Site of St. Clement’s Chapel with ‘Burial Ground (Disused)’. The remains of the chapel and graveyard are fragmentary ([simple_tooltip content='Beveridge, E. 1911. North Uist: its archaeology and topography; with notes upon the early history of the Outer Hebrides (Edinburgh).']Beveridge 1911, 295[/simple_tooltip]). According to the [simple_tooltip content='OS Name Books, Inverness-shire Ordnance Survey Name Books, 1876-1878. ScotlandsPlaces <https://scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/digital-volumes/ordnance-survey-name-books/inverness-shire-os-name-books-1876-1878>.']OS Name Books (OS1/18/6/115)[/simple_tooltip]: ‘This name is applied to the site of an ancient chapel and burying place, situate[d] near the coast 19 chains south from Manish Point. It is dedicated to St. Clement and was the christening chapel and place of worship immediately preceeding Kilmuir (the present parish Church). A stone was recently removed from the site of the above chapel which had a small cavity in it said to be a font.’
Discussion
As discussed under Calmag and Clement, although in its current form, the site is dedicated to St Clement, it originally appears to have been dedicated to St Calmag, as evidenced by its early forms. This is also supported by [simple_tooltip content='Watson, W.J. 2004 (1926). The History of the Celtic Placenames of Scotland (Edinburgh).']Watson (2004 (1926), 279)[/simple_tooltip] who writes that ‘In North Uist is Kilchalman, “Colman’s Church”’. Since there is a large number of saints named Calmag, it is not clear who the saint in question is, but two possible candidates are St Colmán of Dromore and Bishop Colmán of Lindisfarne (see Calmag). The dedication to St Clement should not be entirely dismissed since at some point, someone clearly made the connection between this saint and the chapel-site, but since the earliest date for the connection is in the 19th century, it is difficult to say when it was made (also see Clement).
If the OS Name Book assertion that St Clement’s Chapel preceded Kilmuir as the parish church is correct it would mean that its use as the parish church pre-dated the 18th century when the new parish church at Kilmuir was built. It may imply that this was a church of some significance in the past, but gives little indication of its medieval origins. Additionally, this would be in contrast with existing evidence which suggests that Kilmuir may have been a site of some importance in the post-medieval period (see Kilmuir). It is worth pointing out that St Clement’s Chapel forms part of a cluster of sites on the western North Uist coast which appear to have strong evidence for medieval (if not early medieval) ecclesiastical activity. In particular, the evidence for Norse interactions with Christianity in this area, centred on Paible to the south, may indicate the existence of Christian sites here before the arrival of the Norse (also see Kilmuir and Paible).
Other Sources
[simple_tooltip content='RCAHMS = 1928. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland. Ninth report with inventory of monuments and constructions in the Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles (Edinburgh).']RCAHMS (1928, 50)[/simple_tooltip] St Clement’s Chapel, Tighary: ‘At the head of a small bay on the western coast of North Uist, about 400 yards south of Manish Point, and about ½ mile north-north-west of Tighary, within a small disused kirkyard surrounded by the remains of a stone dyke, the foundations of St Clement’s Chapel are still discernible. The building has been oblong, lying almost east and west, and measuring about 14 feet 6 inches in length and about 10 feet 9 inches in breadth internally. The door has been in the western gable. Within the building is a quarter portion of a hollowed stone, possibly an old font. The deep cavity is more conical and narrow at the bottom than that of the usual knocking stone; it tapers downwards from 7 inches at top to 2 inches. On Blaeu’s map (1654) this church is Kilchalma and in Orig. Paroch. Kilchalman. These forms suggest a dedication to Colman, who has been confused with Clement.’
[simple_tooltip content='OPS = Origines Parochiales Scotiae: the Antiquities Ecclesiastical and Territorial of the Parishes of Scotland vol.2, 1854. (Edinburgh).']OPS (373)[/simple_tooltip]: ‘There appear to have been churches or chapels also at Balmartin, Killipheder, Ardavoran (where a cemetery remains), Kilchalman, and Hougary, and in the island of Valay’.
Other Resources
Canmore ID 10102
Saints in Scottish Place-Names (DoSH)‘Kilchalma, eccl. North Uist’
- Grid reference: NF711727
Meaning
[Gaelic form]
[simple_tooltip content='Scottish Gaelic']G[/simple_tooltip] cill ‘a church, chapel, churchyard, burial ground, hermit’s cell’ + [simple_tooltip content='personal name']pn[/simple_tooltip] Clement (pope and martyr)
(‘St Clement’s Church’)
Early forms
[simple_tooltip content='Blaeu, J. 1654. ‘Atlas of Scotland’ (NLS National Library of Scotland) <https://maps.nls.uk/atlas/blaeu/graphic_index_west.html>.']1654 Blaeu[/simple_tooltip] Kilchalma
[simple_tooltip content='Homann, J. 1710. ‘Magnae Britannia: pars septentrionalis qua regnum Scotiae in suas partes et subja centes insulas divisum / Accurata tabula ex archetypo Vischeriano desumta exhibetur imatatore Iohan. Bapt. Homanno, Noribergae.’ (NLS National Library of Scotland) <https://maps.nls.uk/scotland/rec/157>.']1710 Homann[/simple_tooltip] Kilchalma
[simple_tooltip content='Elphinstone, J. 1745. ‘A new & correct map of North Britain’ (NLS National Library of Scotland’ <https://maps.nls.uk/scotland/rec/701>.']1745 Elphinstone[/simple_tooltip] Kilchalma
[simple_tooltip content='Dorret, J. 1750. ‘A general map of Scotland and islands thereto belonging.’ (NLS National Library of Scotland) <https://maps.nls.uk/joins/703.html>.']1750 Dorret[/simple_tooltip] Kilchamag
[simple_tooltip content='Six-inch 1st edition Ordnance Survey Maps of Scotland, 1843-1882 <https://maps.nls.uk/os/6inch/index.html>.']OS 6-inch[/simple_tooltip] St. Clement’s Chapel (Burial Ground (Disused))
