Cill Chriosd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cill Chroisd |
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| Christ Church Parish Church | |
The ruins of the church in 2010
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| 57°12′53″N 5°56′54″W / 57.21472°N 5.94833°W | |
| OS grid reference | NG 617 207 |
| Location | Strath Suardal |
| Country | Scotland |
| Denomination | Church of Scotland |
| History | |
| Status | Ruins |
| Architecture | |
| Groundbreaking | 16th Century |
| Closed | 1840 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Strath |
Cill Chriosd (also called Kilchrist), which means 'Christ's Church', is an old ruined church on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. It was built around the 1500s. Before this, there was an even older church in the same spot. People used Cill Chriosd until 1840, when a new church was built in Broadford. You can find it on the B8083 road, which goes from Broadford to Torrin and Elgol.
What Does Cill Chriosd Look Like?
The old church stands on top of a small hill. A graveyard surrounds it. The building is long and low. It is made of rough stones.
The church has special corner stones called quoins. It also has stone door frames called jambs. In the early 1700s, a special burial area was added. This area was for the MacKinnon family. It has a small fence-like wall.
The main door is on the south side. It has wide door frames. There are three windows on the south wall. The east wall also had a window, but it is now filled in.
Inside, the church is about 16 meters long and 5 meters wide. The side walls are about 2.4 meters tall. They are also about 0.7 meters thick. The end walls are a bit thicker, at about 0.86 meters. The church faces slightly away from true east-west. There are no openings on the north or west walls.
The History of Cill Chriosd
Cill Chriosd was once the main church for the area called Strath. This area included villages like Boreraig and Susinish. These villages were later cleared of their residents.
People believe that Christians have worshipped here since the 600s. A saint named Mael Ruba preached nearby. The first church for Strath was at Ashiag. It was also started by St Mael Ruba. Later, the main church moved to the Cill Chriosd location. The ruined church we see today probably replaced an even older stone church from the Middle Ages.
We have written records about the church from 1505. These early records mostly list the ministers. In 1505, Kenneth Adamson became the chaplain. He was followed by John Johnson, and then John Ronaldson in 1508.
On June 19, 1627, Neil Mackinnon became the first Protestant minister here. He promised to report any Catholics he knew in the area. It is said that he only gave his workers one meal on Sundays. This was because they were supposed to be resting. But two hungry workers once started ploughing after church. After that, the minister let them have two meals every day.
Cill Chriosd was used until 1840. Then, a new church was built in Broadford.
The Graveyard at Cill Chriosd
The graveyard around Cill Chriosd has many old graves. In 1913, there were two unusual grave markers. One was for Chief Lachlan Mor. It had strange symbols. The other might have been from before Christianity. Sadly, both of these markers have disappeared.
Most of the graves belong to the Clan Mackinnon. They are from the 1700s and 1800s. One special memorial is for "Charles Third." He was born in Corry, near Broadford. He was a MacKinnon, but he later moved to Australia and died there. There is also an old stone slab in the south corner. It has a beautiful cross carved into it.
The churchyard also has a stone with a family crest. There is also a piece of a cross. One side is plain. The other side has two animals carved into it. You can also find a slate slab with a three-leafed cross design. One side is still clear, but the other side is worn away.
The graveyard was even featured in a music video. The band Ultravox filmed their 1984 video "Lament" here.
