Balnakeil Church

Heritage listing

Date Added 24/03/1938 Last Date Amended 09/10/2001 Type Ecclesiastical: burial ground, cemetery, graveyard; church Local Authority Highland Parish Durness NGR NC 39109 68649 Coordinates 239109, 968649 — The monument consists of the remains of a post-Reformation parish church and burial ground, which served the parish of Durness. This parish included Eddrachillis and Tongue parishes until 1724. The monument was originally scheduled in 1938. On this occasion an inadequate area to protect all the associated remains was scheduled: the present rescheduling rectifies this. The parish church is believed to have been built in 1619 and had an aisle added to the N in 1692. It remained in use until about 1814. The earliest reference to a church at Durness occurs between 1223 and 1245 when it was assigned to find light and incense for the cathedral church at Dornoch. However, the church is traditionally believed to have been founded by St Maelrubba. The medieval references to a church at Durness together with the E-W alignment of the main body of the church suggests that the floor plan, and perhaps much of the fabric of the church, dates to the medieval period. It has been reported that a possible former, circular enclosing bank of the churchyard is visible on aerial photographs. However, the identification of this feature has not been confirmed. The church is a T-plan with a gabled belfry on the E gable. The remains stand to the wall-head with intact crow-stepped gables. The walls are of rubble masonry being 0.8m thick and averaging 2.5m in height. Externally, the nave measures about 14m by 6m and the aisle about 8m by 6m. The doorway through the E gable has a moulded surround and a gallery door above. The entrance to the N aisle has moulded jambs and worn date (16..) on lintel. T

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.