Hilton of Cadboll Chapel

The Hilton of Cadboll Chapel is the remains of a medieval chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The chapel is located in Hilton of Cadboll, a village in the Highland council area. The site overlooks the Moray Firth and is about 5 meters above sea level. The chapel would have been a prominent landmark, as it would have been visible from both water and land. The site is bordered on the north and west by rising ground, which would have provided a position where it was possible to look down over the site. The chapel likely dates to some time in the 13th century and was used for worship and burial. There is also evidence of Pictish activity on the same site from sometime between 650 and 900 CE. An earlier chapel and burial ground may have been associated with this activity. Medieval pottery has been found on the site, which suggests that a settlement existed nearby during this period. It is possible that the chapel fell out of use during the Reformation. Eighteenth-century records indicate the chapel was in ruins by that time, and by 1856 it was being used as a shed. The chapel has been in the care of the state since 1978. Today all that remains of the chapel and the burial grounds are the foundation of the chapel and a series of low, turf-covered banks. The site also consists of the famous Hilton of Cadboll Stone, burial grounds near the chapel, and a well, known as "Oure Lady-Well."