Lemlair
Associated Chapels: Kilchoan {NH 562604}.
Parish Church: OS Ref: NGR NH 576615 H.E.S. No: NH56SE 3 Dedication: St Brigh
This chapel was partially excavated by Dr Woodham in 1966. Finds included a stone font, part of the communion table and several skeletons. According to Woodham the dedication is to St Brigh, and the present remains date from about 1198 when the chapel was consecrated.
Cille Bhrea, on the north shore of the Cromarty Firth, was established by 1228 as the parish church of Lemlair and continued in use until the early 17th century. A cross inscribed slab was recovered from the foreshore and, although of uncertain date, it may suggest an earlier origin for the Christian use of the site.
Looking at Mackinlay's book on Church Dedications in Scotland there is the following under Lumlair: "St. Brigh, another Irish female saint, had one dedication in Scotland, viz., the church of the suppressed parish of Lumlair, now included in Kiltearn, Ross-shire. The foundations of the church are still to be seen in Cladh-ma-Bhri, i.e. the burying-ground of St. Brigh. There were at least two saints of the name. The one commemorated at Lumlair was probably St. Brigh of Coirpre, sister of St. Brendan of Clonfert." What he here calls a graveyard may also have included a 'Cille' or chapel as local tradition says. The dedication of the parish church in more recent (but still medieval) times was to the Virgin Mary. However, the first church here proudly bore the more ancient dedication to St Brigh. This, no doubt, was changed to something more 'acceptable' as the influence of the Roman Church became more pronounced.
Lemlair was joined to Kiltearn in 1618, whereupon Lemlair Church was abandoned, though burials continued in the kirkyard for many years.
Coastal errosion at Cladh-ma-Bhri is a serious issue and has required a programme of rescue archaeology in recent times.
"I would imagine there is a strong possibility of a chapel at Balnagown {Kilmuir Easter} as I think there must be quite a number of them along the north shore of the Cromarty Firth. From my childhood, I know of a mound adjacent to Foulis Castle {Culnaskeath - Kiltearn} which covers what was a chapel, and, on the shore between Dingwall and Evanton there was one dedicated to St Brigh (Bridget?)." [Personal comments: Mhairi Mackenzie, Ross and Cromarty Heritage Society. (21 Nov 2018)]
Kilchoan. According to MacKinlay, "a Chapel to St Congan at one time stood at Kilchoan in the ancient parish of Lumlair." 'Cill Chomhghain' commemorates St. Comgan, active between 700 and 750 AD. The church, with the burial-ground which was in use until the 19th c., was destroyed by the cutting of the railway in 1862-63
