Durness Scottish Highlands

Sited at the western end of Balnakeil Bay in the pre clearance township is the ruins of an old church.

Balnakeil Church

Balnakeil

Balnakeil Church

Founded in 722 by St. Maelrubha, the present building dates from 1619. Inside the ruined building can be found the grave of a notorious villain, Domhnuall MacMhurchadh who was reported to have resided at Helium.

The tomb built into the niche on the south wall of the church is said to be the last resting-place of a famous local villain, Donald MacMurdo, known as Domhnull MacMhurchaidh. He raided all and anyone from his den at, on the east side of Eriboll and was responsible for at least eighteen murders. He paid Uisdean Dubh MacKay the second Lord of Reay who was rebuilding the church in 1619 one thousand pounds on condition he was buried in a specially built vault in the church to prevent his enemies from interfering with his remains. The inscription on the tomb emblazoned with odd heraldic devices including the skull and cross-bones can be rendered as,following Elizabeth Beaton

"Donald Makmurchou here lies lo w Was ill to his friend, and worse to to his foe True to his master in prosperity and woe. DMMC 1623"

There are a number of interesting 18th and 19th century gravestones, notably the large stone to the Anderson's of Keoldale The raised area to the south is the massed grave of the victims of the "Canton", an emigrant ship which sank with the loss of all lives off Faraid Head in 1849. There is nothing to mark this site.

The impressive monument is in memory of Rob Donn Calder or Mackay, a noted Gaelic poet. known as "the Robert Burns" of Gaeldom. It was erected in 1827 and is engraved with the following tribute in Gaelic, English, Latin, and Greek. ''This tomb was erected at the expense of a few of his countrymen. Ardent admirers of his native talent and extraordinary genius. 1827'' Rob Donn composed Gaelic songs and poems of such purity the illiterate unlettered genius's work was adopted by the Gaelic Department of Glasgow University as one of their textbooks. He expressed himself with a management of language which embodied concepts of great complexity. His grave is marked by a crude flagstone ROBERT DONN 1777.

Monument to Rob Donn Durness

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