Flags and stones at Kildonnan

We carried our boats well up the beach above the rising tide to give us time to explore Kildonnan.  Behind the beach an area of usually boggy ground was quite dry after a few weeks without rain.  The sword shaped leaves and bright yellow intricate flowers of Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus) were well in evidence.  A typical plant of wet ground, the plant has many common names and a few medicinal uses.  Our friend Douglas points out that the Irises on the west coast flower just as the first midges of the summer appear - and he's right - in which case it should perhaps also be known as The Warning Flag"!

As we climbed the slope above the beach the unmistakable outline of the Sgurr of Eigg came into view, surely one of the most easily recognised of Scottish hills.  Mike and I had agreed that it would be great if we could incorporate climbing the hill into our trip.

But that was for another day; ahead of us was the first point of interest for which we'd landed at Kildonnan.......

This finely carved cross stands in a prominent position near the graveyard of Kildonnan.  The "Kil" prefix common in Scottish and Irish place names is an anglicisation of "Cille" meaning a religious cell or chapel. The carving up the cross shaft is foliage representing the tree of life and is still very clear and well preserved.  The head of the cross is missing; the replica at the base is cast in concrete and was copied in part from the Oronsay cross.  The Kildonnan cross is believed to date from the 14th or 15th century and is typical of those produced in Iona around this time.

We wandered from the cross through the graveyard, reading some of the stones as we went, towards the ruined church of Kildonnan.  Donnan was an Irish monk who brought Christianity to Eigg in the 6th century.  He and all his monks were killed in 617 but a new monastic community was founded and flourished until at least the 9th century.  There's no visible remains of the original buildings which would have been of timber and earth with thatched roofs.  The current ruins have elements from the late Middle Ages to the 16th century.

Some of the grave slabs preserved within the church walls date from the 8th century, a very early date.  Interestingly, it seems that Vikings re-used some older burial mounds to inter their own dead from around the 9th century, despite being firmly pagan at that time.

The interior of the church is typically medieval in plan, but with later additions.  After the Reformation the church fell into disuse and the church became a graveyard.  A tradition emerged of Catholic burials in (initially) nine rows inside the walls and then immediately outside the church, with Protestant burials in a graveyard to the south of the church near the cross - it's a tradition which has persisted into modern times.

We left Kildonnan and walked back past the cross, facing out across the sea to the Arisaig shore as it has done for over 800 years.  Though not religious, I find places associated with faith, belief or superstition fascinating.  Exploring the places of interest along a route is, for me, one of the best parts of a sea kayak journey and really adds to the whole experience of a trip.

Kildonnan is a place of real interest and historical significance, well worth a visit and easily accessible on foot form Eigg's main settlement at Galmisdale.  THere's a really good information page here.  If you visit Eigg, try to include it in your exploration.  If you get a stunning day of sunshine with a soundtrack of Skylark song and a profusion of wildflowers underfoot, then so much the better.