We were on the Isle of Benbecula, part of The Outer Hebrides on holiday in 2014, when we suddenly passed this cemetery……. so of course we reversed, a little difficult in a large motor home, but husband was getting better with each passing day. I had spied a little ruined building, which I just had to find out about. Again there was an information board, as there are so many sites on all of the islands, it would be really difficult with out them. We had come across the ‘Medieval Graveyard and Chapel of Baile nan Cailleach’, now that sounds worth exploring. Luckily the rain held off, although there were some nasty black clouds, so I was able to spent a little time exploring the little chapel and graveyard.
I took some close photos of the board, really to copy, but they came out quite clear, so I thought I would use them to give you some details of this ancient place.
The following drawing shows you how the graveyard has built up over time around the little chapel. I think I would have liked to have seen the chapel a little more consolidated, but really interesting to realise that you are only seeing half of the chapel. So I was really pleased that we had taken the time to stop and linger a little, in this ancient site.
On our holiday of May 2014
Echoes of the Past 
You certainly found some treasures in the islands! Great photos again. I especially like that shaggy lichen. Can’t believe how it totally covered that one stone. I’m also amazed the cemetery could have raised the ground level that much. That makes me wonder what modern cemeteries do with the extra soil, they must have a place to dump it?!
Thanks Pat, yes that lichen was really special, it seemed to cover the older smaller stones, maybe they like that kind of stone. In some of the medieval churc yards in some cities you can see how the church yards are much higher than the surrounding modern area. So no I’m not sure either what they do in modern cemeteries, will have to google it 🙂
I talked to a friend of mine who worked in a cemetery office. She told me they had a place in an unused section of the cemetery where they would put the extra soil. Apparently when choosing the land for the cemetery they looked for a place that had an area they could fill. Now we’ve learned a little something about buying land for a cemetery. 🙂
HaHa, I will bear that in mind LOL, interesting know how they do it 🙂
The raised ground is caused by sand blowing from the nearby beach
The ground level would have raised over the centuries with sand blown from the nearby beach (cula bay) , which raises the nearby fields by about a metre ever few years due to costal erosion etc
I’m so glad that your hubby is real good at backing up! I love old cemeteries. I enjoy reading the head stones, and letting my imagination run wild. These photo are so interesting.
Thank you Deb, glad you have enjoyed the photos, there is sometime quite special about old graveyards and like you , I enjoy reading the headstones 🙂
Great photos Lynne, especially of the gravestones with all that lichen – shows what clear and clean air they have up there 🙂
Yes Andy, the lichen are everywhere, really beautiful 🙂
The lichens in the Highlands are really amazing, they are like giant versions of the ones found in the rest of the UK! 🙂
As you say Andy, its the lovely clear air there at the top of the UK 🙂
So very interesting! What a lovely spot. I thought that the word ‘cailleach’ meant an old hag or witch-like woman, at least in mythology, so it is interesting to see the use of it here, to mean ‘nuns’! I’d love to explore this place.
I loved what was left of the little chapel 🙂
The ground level has raised over the centuries with sand blown from the nearby beach (cula bay) , which raises the nearby fields by about a metre ever few years due to costal erosion etc , this is obvious all over the island , a beautiful Setting , a few yards from my home
Thank you Iain, and you live in a wonderful place, we loved our holiday on your beautiful islands and we had an amazing time 🙂
Thank you. My grandmothers sisters/brothers buried there. Visiting few years back and popped into graveyard and saw all their names and she too, got a mention, though not buried there
So pleased that you have enjoyed the photos, its a lovely place and it must have been wonderful to see your relatives resting places 🙂