Nerabus Conservation Project
Wednesday, September 13 2006
The following story was published in the Ileach from 2 September and has a direct relation to an earlier story published on this blog about Islay's Carved Stones. Nerabus is located on the Rhinns of Islay, halfway between Port Charlotte and Portnahaven.
The Finlaggan Trust now owns this land in Nerabus Lower Burial Ground, which was formerly in the possession of the Clan Donald Lands Trust. In this burial ground are the remains of a chapel, probably dedicated to Saint Columba, dating from the 14th or 15th century when Nerabus lands belonged to the Abbey of Derry. There are also several recumbent Medieval carved gravestones, and a freestanding cross once stood here commemmorating a man of high status, almost certainly a MacKay of the Rinns. The MacKays were appointed hereditary officers of the Rinns by the Lords of the Isles. Two parts of this cross are now in the Museum of Islay Life. Eleven stones in the Lower Burial Ground, including the cross, were recorded by R. C. Graham in The Carved Stones of Islay, published in 1895. Two of those grave slabs are now lost, while the remaining eight have recently been cleaned, repaired and placed on a gravel bed within a stone plinth, and covered with protective toughened glass. The stone plinth was constructed by local man Douglas Smith, while the cleaning, repair and relocation of the stones was undertaken in March 2006 by the Edinburgh-based firm of Nicholas Boyes Stone Conservation.
The FinlagganTrust provided part of the funding and received a great deal of advice and financial support, led by the Oban-based Nądair Trust, through whom a Heritage Lottery Fund grant was obtained. Historic Scotland inspectors gave us help, advice and funding, as did Argyll and the Isles Enterprise, the Community Economic Development Programme, and Argyll & Bute Council. Finlaggan Trust would like to thank all who advised and gave financial assistance. The project was formally opened on 25th August by Nądair Trust chairman Mike Robertson.
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