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Keil Chapel

Burial Ground (Period Unassigned), Chapel (Period Unassigned)

Site Name Keil Chapel

Classification Burial Ground (Period Unassigned), Chapel (Period Unassigned)

Alternative Name(s) Religion

Canmore ID 23332

Site Number NM95SE 2

NGR NM 97177 53817

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/23332

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Highland
  • Parish Lismore And Appin (Lochaber)
  • Former Region Highland
  • Former District Lochaber
  • Former County Argyll

Recording Your Heritage Online

Keil Chapel, late medieval, abandoned after 1630 Tucked tightly in between house and steadings beside the pebbly shore, this chapel is dedicated to St. Columba. Its gables and other masonry appear to have been built up at a later date, but the roofless ruin is now in sore need of consolidation. Surrounding burial ground with engraved 18th- and 19th-century slate tombstones of exceptional quality, especially those to the rear of the walled enclosure. Here lie the remains of James Stewart of the Glen of Appin Murder fame.

Taken from "Western Seaboard: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Mary Miers, 2008. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk

Archaeology Notes

NM95SE 2 97177 53817

(NM 9717 5382) Chapel (NR) (remains of)

OS 1:10,000 map, (1975)

The ruins of this chapel stand within its burial ground close to the farmhouse of Keil. It is a plain, oblong building measuring 12.3 metres E-W by 5.6 metres within walls about 0.9 metres thick. The walls stand almost to their original height, though much of the visible masonry is modern, the result of patching and repairing to assist their preservation. The interior of the church contains numerous burials, which have considerably raised the level of the floor. The existing opening towards the west end of the north wall probably represents the site of the original doorway. Two slab-lintelled windows stand opposite to one another at the east end of the building.

The chapel is probably of late medieval date and the dedication was evidently to St Columba. There are no visible tombstones of a date earlier than 1707.

RCAHMS 1975, visited September 1970.

As described.

Surveyed at 1:10 000 scale.

Visited by OS (J P) 30 April 1970.

Activities

Field Visit (1 September 2014)

NM 97177 53817 Situated on the shore of Loch Linnhe are the remains of Keil Chapel and burial ground. The chapel has been identified as late medieval and is dedicated to St Columba. The burial ground has continued to be of wider public interest, as the remains of James Stewart, or better known as James of the Glen or Seumas a’Ghlinne, lies within the burial ground.

The association with James of the Glen has long made Keil Chapel a prominent location within the landscape and is regularly visited by visitors to the area, despite the site not being actively promoted. The group hopes to improve access to the chapel and burial grounds, as the current access

involves climbing over a ruinous stone wall. They also wish to develop a long term funding and conservation strategy for the site to enable the preservation of this monument for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.

The Archaeology Scotland Adopt-a-Monument team worked with the Friends of Keil Chapel on the 1 September 2014 to undertake a programme of work at Keil Chapel and Graveyard. The burial ground was cleared of vegetation, mapped and tombstone inscriptions were recorded. An interpretation sign was also mounted. Future plans include consolidation

of the chapel walls, and the online publication of the survey of the graveyard’s tombstones for interested parties to search. This work was undertaken as part of the 2011–16 Adopt-a-Monument Scheme.

Archive: Archaeology Scotland, Lochaber Archives, Fort William Appin Historical Society Port Appin and RCAHMS (intended). Report: Archaeology Scotland

Neil Malcolm and Margaret Malcolm – Friends of Keil Chapel

(Source: DES)

Funder: Highland Leader Fund 2007–13, Heritage Lottery Fund

and Historic Scotland

Neil Malcolm and Margaret Malcolm – Friends of Keil Chapel

(Source: DES)

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