Beach Church And Graveyard On Visit To Balnakeil North Coast Of Highlands Of Scotland

Tour Scotland travel video, with Scottish music, of the beach, old church and graveyard on visit to Balnakeil on the North coast of the Scottish Highlands. Also known as Durness Old Parish Church; Durness, Old St Peter's Church; Clach Na Sagart Ruadh. The first church at Balnakeil was founded in the early 8th century by St Maelrubha, and it developed into one of the most important Celtic monasteries in the north west of Scotland. The present roofless church dates to about 1617. It was rebuilt in 1690, then abandoned to decay in the mid 19th century when a new church was built. In the ruined kirk is the tomb of Donald MacLeod, better known by his Gaelic name Domhnull MacMhurchaidh or MacMurachie. MacMhurchaidh worked for the chiefs of Clan MacKay and lived near Eriboll. Máel Ruba, Máelrubai, Old Irish spelling, Maol Rubha MoRubha/MaRuibhe Scottish Gaelic spelling, or Malruibhe 642 to 722, sometimes Latinised as Rufus, is an Irish saint of the Christian Church. Originally from Bangor, County Down, Ireland, he was a monk and founded the monastic community of Applecross in Ross, one of the best attested early Christian monasteries in what is now Scotland. All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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