On Roads to the Isles - 4

Another road to the isles is the long drive to Tayvallich, where you can catch the passenger ferry to Jura. But before going to Jura you should drive another five miles beyond Tayvallich to the end of the B8095, where you'll find Cill mo-Charmaig, better known as Keills Chapel.

The chapel has been re-roofed, and inside you will find an assortment of West Highland tombstones and crosses, including the beautiful Cross of Keills. When the cross was moved inside the chapel a replica was mounted outside the chapel on the original site of the cross. 

Keills Chapel and replica cross

Tombstones inside the chapel

The jewel of the collection of stones is the 7th (or 8th) century Cross of Keills, which was moved into the chapel about 35 years ago.

The Cross of Keills

The chapel is dedicated to St Charmaig, who is though to have worked in the area in the early 7th century. He had a hermitage on Eilean Mor Mhic O'Charmaig, one of the MacCormaig Isles, three miles south of the chapel. See the January 29, 2014 post for a description of a visit to Eilean Mor.

Replica cross - MacCormaig isles in the distance

See this RCAHMS page for more on the chapel of Cill mo-Charmaig, and this RCAHMS page for photos of the cross before it was moved inside.