Scottish Highlands - Historic Churches

Balnakeil church is one of the most interesting historic sites in the northwest of Scotland. It stands at the western end of Balnakeil Bay, looking across a long sweep of sand dunes. The first church at Balnakeil was founded in the early 8th century by St Maelrubha, and it developed into one of the most important Celtic monasteries in the north west of Scotland. It is one of the last vestiges of the pre-Clearance township of Balnakeil.
Durness, Highlands, Highlands and Islands, Scotland

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A 16th century ruined church stands by the roadside south-west of Broadford. The church replaced a medieval building, and was built beside the traditional site where St Maelrubha preached in the 7th century. In the graveyard is an ancient cross-head and a medieval gravestone carved with a floriated cross.
B8083, Broadford, Isle of Skye, Highlands and Islands, Scotland, IV49 9AS

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A fascinating site with a rich history, Cille Bharra stands near the northern end of the Eoligarry peninsula, north of Barra airport and its unique beach runway. Within the stone walls enclosing the site stand three chapels, two now ruinous, dedicated to St Barr, the 7th-century Irish monk who gave his name to the island of Barra. The chapels probably date to the 12th century and later, but may occupy the site of much earlier buildings.
Eoligarry, Eoligarry, Barra, Highlands and Islands, Scotland

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An early 19th-century church built on the site of St Maelrubha's 7th-century monastery. In the churchyard stands a Celtic cross marking the grave of Ruaraidh Mor MacAogan, Abbot of Applecross, who died in 801.
Applecross, Highlands and Islands, Scotland, IV54 8ND

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Heritage Highlight: 9th-century cross in the churchyard
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The ruins of a 12th-century monastic church stand on the uninhabited island of Eynhallow, off Rousay. Eynhallow Church was used as a dwelling from the 16th century and was only discovered by accident.
Eynhallow, Orkney, Highlands and Islands, Scotland

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At Kilmuir on the Isle of Skye's north-west coast is a cemetery that once served a 16th-century church. In the cemetery is the grave of Flora Macdonald, the Jacobite heroine who helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape his pursuers after the Battle of Culloden.
Hunglader, Kilmuir, Isle of Skye, Highlands and Islands, Scotland, IV51 9UE

Attraction Type: Church - Graveyard
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Fortrose Cathedral is a lovely red sandstone church built for the Bishops of Ross in the first half of the 13th century.  The founder was Bishop Robert, who moved the see from Rosemarkie to Fortrose from around 1236.
Cathedral Square, Fortrose, Highlands, Highlands and Islands, Scotland, IV10 8TB

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The scanty remains of a small rectangular chapel stand in a field at Hilton of Chadboll, on the Tarbat peninsula near Invergordon. Beside the chapel stands a full-scale replica of the Hilton of Cadboll Pictish cross slab, one of the finest carved Pictish stones in Scotland.
Hilton of Cadboll, Highlands and Islands, Scotland

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One of the most significant historic sites in the Western Isles, Howmore is a complex of churches, chapels, and a burial ground, on a site that may have been used in pre-Christian times. The main chapel dates to at least the 8th century and may stand on a prehistoric site levelled to make way for the new buildings. Much of the site is enclosed within a short wall of 19th-century provenance.
Howmore, South Uist, Highlands and Islands, Scotland

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The Italian Chapel is a shrine built by Italian prisoners of war during WWII, using a Quonset hut and salvaged scraps of metal and wood. The chapel is a moving example of the marriage of faith and art under trying circumstances. The interior is beautifully painted and contains lovely ironwork and trompe l'oeil artwork.
Lamb Holm, Orkney, Highlands and Islands, Scotland, KW17 2RT

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