Context
St Michael’s Chapel or Teampall Naomh Mhìcheil is located on the island of Griomasaigh between North Uist and Benbecula. According to the [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), 47.']1928 RCAHMS survey[/simple_tooltip]:
The ruins of St. Michael’s Chapel occupy a very prominent position on a small plateau on the highest point of the promontory at the southeast end of Grimsay, about 500 yards southeast of the school at Kallin. It has been built in a small enclosure, the foundations of the boundary wall, overgrown with grass, being traceable all round.
In addition to the name of the chapel, St Michael’s Point (NF883854) and Eileanan an Teampull (NF881533) both appear to relate to the same site. The nearby settlement of Ceallan (NF876548) may also be associated with St Michael’s Chapel.
Discussion
The earliest attestation of St Michael’s Chapel is the 17th century [simple_tooltip content='Gregory, D. and Skene, W.F. (eds.) 1847 (17th century). ‘Fragment of a Manuscript History of the MacDonalds, written in the reign of Charles II’, Collectanea de Rebus Albanicis: consisting of original papers and documents relating to the history of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland (Edinburgh), 297-8.']History of the MacDonalds[/simple_tooltip] which states that Amie (14th C), daughter of Rúaidrí ‘built the little oratory in Grimsay’. According to [simple_tooltip content='Carmichael, A. 1869. ‘Notices of Teampull Michael, Keallun, North Uist; and of Sculptured Stones in Bearnarey, Harris, and in Benbecula; an Abrach Quern, and Quarry for Querns, Heisgeir, North Uist. &c.’, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 8, 276-286.']Carmichael (1869, 277)[/simple_tooltip]: ‘The founder is said to have built it as an oratory wherein she might worship while detained from crossing the Minch by stormy weather, when going to visit her relations in Lorn’.
Based on the available evidence, the earliest definite attestation of this chapel means that it cannot date later than the 17th century and, if the association with Amie is genuine, it must be at least a 14th century site. However, as highlighted in discussions of other sites (see Teampull na Trionaid and Teampull Chriosd), such associations are often problematic. Although [simple_tooltip content='Thomas, F.W.L, Capt. 1890 (1871). ‘Notices of Three Churches in North Uist, Benbecula, and Grimsay, said to have been Built in the Fourteenth Century’, Archaeologica Scotia, 5, 225-48.']Capt. Thomas (1871, 245)[/simple_tooltip] believed that this church was more likely than Teampull na Trionaid to have been built by Amie the possibility of an earlier site should not be excluded. It is tempting to suggest the possibility that the chapel here predated its association with Amie, especially considering that other St Michael dedications in Uist may be of an early date (see *Àird Mhìcheil).
The name Ceallan may also be significant. Located ca. 700m from St Michael’s Chapel, it appears to denote a church setting. Usually found in the dative form as cill in place-names it is only in the nominative form that we see the development of EG cell ‘a church’ into G ceall ‘a cell, church’ ([simple_tooltip content='Butter, R. 2007. ‘Cill- names and Saints in Argyll: a way towards understanding the early church in Dál Riata?’ <http://theses.gla.ac.uk/4509/>; Dwelly, E. 1901-11. The Illustrated Gaelic-English Dictionary <http://www.dwelly.info/> ‘ceall’; eDIL = 2003-7 (1913-76). Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language. <http://www.dil.ie/> ‘cell’.']Butter 2007, 1; Dwelly 1901-11; eDIL[/simple_tooltip]). Most likely is perhaps a nominative plural form of G ceall. Such a coining could describe existing ruins or cells. There is also a Cidhe nan Ceallan NF881554 ‘The Pier of the Cells’ nearby.
Other Resources
Canmore ID 10193
Saints in Scottish Place-Names (DoSH)‘St Michael’s Chapel, North Uist’; ‘St Michael’s Point, North Uist’
- G: Teampall Naomh Mhìcheil
[for G form see OS colour raster Teampall Naomh Mhicheil]
Grid reference: NF881548
Meaning
[Gaelic form]
[simple_tooltip content='Scottish Gaelic']G[/simple_tooltip] teampall ‘a church, temple’ + [simple_tooltip content='personal name']pn[/simple_tooltip] Naomh Mìcheal (St Michael, archangel)
(St Michael’s Church)
Early forms
[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. Michael’s Chapel
