Trumpan Church
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Trumpan Church is a ruined medieval church located on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. In 1578, the church was the site of a brutal massacre of the Clan MacLeod by Clan Macdonald, (also known as Clan Ranald) of South Uist. The attack was in retaliation for the massacre of hundreds of members of Clan Macdonald on the island of Eigg the previous year. The church and surrounding graveyard contain late medieval carved gravestones. Historic Environment Scotland designated the church and surrounding burial ground a scheduled monument in 1936.
The 13th century ruined village church is situated in Trumpan, on the northern end of the Waternish peninsula on the Isle of Skye.[1] Also known as "Cille Conain", the building was in use until the 16th century.[2]
The layout of the church is rectangular, measuring 15.2 m (50 ft) by 7 m (23 ft) wide. The structure's north wall, arched doorway and east gable have survived undamaged. The north wall is 2.75 m (9 ft 0 in) in height, while little remains of the south wall. Inside the church are late medieval gravestones and the remnants of a stone basin that is believed to be the holy water font. One of the graves is inscribed with a claymore (sword) surrounded by animals and foliage.[1][2][3]
The burial ground surrounding the church contains a rough standing stone, 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) in height, and known as the "Priest's Stone". A second medieval grave slab, southwest of the church, is engraved with the image of a tonsured priest with the placement of the hands as if in prayer. In the upper part of the stone, is an interlaced cross within a circle, and in the lower part of the stone is the image of a chalice.
The church and surrounding burial ground were designated a scheduled monument in 1936.[3]