Story entitled 'Submerged Church', 4 November 1873
Scope and Contents
Story entitled 'Submerged Church', collected from Ken[neth] MacKenzie, mason, Dallabrog [Dalabrog/Daliburgh, Uibhist a Deas/South Uist] at Eirisg, Barra [Eirisgeigh/Eriskay, Barraigh/Isle of Barra]. MacKenzie tells Carmichael that he was made aware of the church, Caibeal MhicCeallaich, by another man while shearing sheep. He describes the dimensions and composition of the building in detail and its location as 'Below Bornish Uarach s[outh] side of point Lowest spring tide' [Bornais Uarach/Upper Bornish] and later as 'on s[outh] side of Ruairdvaoilein nearer Bornish than Kildonan' [Rubha Àird a' Mhuile, Bornais and Cill Donnain]. He tells how he tore 'tangles' from about seven feet of wall and that there 'was more wall but this was all I bare.' He adds 'When I saw the beaut[iful] work so beaut[iful] I had not the heart to touch it.' He adds that there is another Caibeal MhicCheallaich at Daliburgh and that MacCeallan had requested to be buried as low as the tide went out and a chapel built about him. He states that his sons brought him some masonry from the Daliburgh chapel, that Mrs Martin and her son Allan know all the sub-marine places and that Kil Phead [Cille Pheadair/Kilpheder] is 'under the sea' and 'not seen now'.
Dates
- Creation: 4 November 1873
Language of Materials
English Gaelic
Conditions Governing Access
This material is unrestricted.
Extent
From the Series: 93 folios ; 20.5 x 13.2 cm
Physical Location
5.07
Physical Location
folio 2r, line 1 to folio 2v, line 26
- Archaeology
- Bornish South Uist Inverness-shire Scotland
- Caibeal MhicCeallaich South Uist Inverness-shire Scotland
- Church Buildings
- Daliburgh South Uist Inverness-shire Scotland
- Eriskay South Uist Inverness-shire Scotland
- Funeral Rites and Ceremonies
- Isle of Barra Inverness-shire Scotland
- Kilpheder South Uist Inverness-shire Scotland
- Monks
- South Uist Inverness-shire Scotland
- Tales
- Underwater archaeology
- Upper Bornish South Uist Inverness-shire Scotland
Subject
- MacKenzie, Kenneth, c1805-1889 (mason | Daliburgh | South Uist) (Person)
- Martin, Allan, c1836-1875 (farmer | Daliburgh | South Uist) (Person)
- Martin, Euphemia, c1815-1889 (Person)
Creator
- From the Fonds: Carmichael, Alexander, 1832-1912 (Excise officer | folklorist and antiquarian | Edinburgh | Scotland) (Person)
- From the Fonds: Watson, William John, 1865-1948 (Professor of Celtic) (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
heritagecollections@ed.ac.uk