A Sacred Island

‘A Sacred Island: Lismore’s unique medieval Heritage’ is a film by Julia Fayngruen which you can see mounted on one of the ipads in the museum room. The words, spoken by Murray Willis, are by Robert  Hay accompanied by fiddle variations on “Leaving Lismore” from Charlie Grey.

Otherwise see the film here: 

For those who are not able to see the film, Bob’s script,  quoted verbatim here, will  give you a good idea of his knowledge, insights and great interest in the island’s history and heritage.

Bob writes: 

The Isle of Lismore is a green jewel in Loch Linnhe.

Since the earliest times, it has had an important strategic position for defence and trade, on the safer sea passage from south to north, protected by Mull; and situated at the entrance to the Great Glen, linking  west to east.

There is ample evidence of the importance of Lismore’s strategic position and the fertility of its limestone soils, in its rich prehistoric heritage:  more than a dozen prominent Bronze Age cairns and cists; and at least a dozen Iron Age brochs and duns.  

The discovery of a Bronze Age armlet on the island in 1995, half way between its place of manufacture in the North East of Scotland, and where the furthest travelled armlet was found in Ireland, shows that trading and exchange of goods has a very long history. 

The long history of defence and trade culminated in the building of two state-of-the-art stone and lime castles by the ruling MacDougalls in the 13^th Century.

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Within the island, the richest evidence of its long prehistory and history cluster round the parish church, the area called Clachan, literally ”the stones”.

Standing at the top of the ancient graveyard next to the church, it is easy to see that this is one of the most important heritage sites in Scotland, really of international importance.  The church is at the centre of a landscape of ancient ritual and power:  between two great Bronze Age cairns, one of which was the site of fire festivals at least until the Reformation;  and in full view of Tirfuir Broch, clearly a seat of authority, defending the island from the seaward side.

Attracted by this long tradition of ritual and power, Saint Moluag brought Christianity   to Clachan, traditionally in the middle of the sixth century.  It seems likely that he would have had to ask permission to land and set up his community from the ruler based at  the broch.  We do know that he was on Lismore from an entry in the Irish Annals recording his death in 592.  Looking around the graveyard, we see concrete evidence of the Early Church:  the 8^th century cross, now in fragments and protected in the island museum, but its base remains here.

Next to the cross is the baptism stone and, in view below, the sanctuary stone, which is held to mark a “safe area” round the earliest church, offering protection to individuals fleeing from punishment.  The oval shaped field boundary shown in the aerial photography may well trace the outline of the monastic boundary. All of these signs of Moluag’s presence were confirmed in a dramatic way in 2018 when an archaeological dig next to the sanctuary stone revealed a 7^th century Christian burial within an older cemetery enclosure.  This established clearly that the Early Church was active on Lismore just at the time that Columba was establishing his monastery on Iona

The reputation of Lismore as a holy place persisted though the following centuries, so that, when the ruling MacDougalls planned the new Cathedral of Argyll, they opted for Lismore and the site of Moluag’s monastery.  Nothing remains of the original monastic church but work began on the cathedral building in the 13^th Century.  What comes as a surprise to visitors is that the medieval chancel lives on as the parish church.  Once they have entered the building, the evidence is clear: the sedilia where the priests sat for mass, and the piscina where they washed the chalices.

The nave of the cathedral was already in ruins at the Reformation, but community archaeology in 2015 and 2016 uncovered the footings of the walls, revealing a western tower, south entrance and many fragments of carved sandstone details.

Until the 17^th century, the ancient graveyard was still a prestigious place to be buried, as shown by the group of West Highland graveslabs that have now been lifted, conserved and presented in a shelter adjacent to the graveyard.

After thousands of years of ritual and nearly 1500 years of Christianity, the Clachan site remains a centre of island life.  The Parish Church and the Historical Society are working in partnership to preserve the medieval chancel, to interpret the monuments, and to celebrate the many centuries of heritage in the landscape.

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