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I have taken many photographs featuring Laide graveyard and chapel and this was one of the first. At the time of writing, 2009, many trees and shrubs have grown preventing similar expansive views of this scene being captured now. On my first visit to Laide to look at the house that my wife and I ultimately purchased we had no idea that the coastal scenery was so spectacular.
That visit was in early 1993 and as Gruinard Bay was shrouded in fine rain during our visit little of the coast could be seen. A few days later I was in a shop in Glasgow where, to my surprise, I noticed a very large poster featuring a very similar view of Gruinard Bay to that shown above. I was amazed; it certainly increased my enthusiasm to secure the purchase of the house we had viewed in Laide!
The ruined chapel in Laide graveyard is known as the chapel of the Sand of Udrigle. It has a long history and I can do no better than quote the account given in John H Dixon's book 'Gairloch and Guide to Loch Maree' published in 1886.
"The chapel of Sand of Udrigle, situated in a graveyard crowded with graves, close to the village of Laide, is stated in Dr Scott's Fasti Ecclesiæ, Part V., to have been built (about 1713) by George MacKenzie of Gruinard, at his own expense, as a presbyterian place of worship; but the universal tradition in Gairloch is, that the little church was erected by St Columba, the apostle of Scotland, or one of his followers, in the seventh century, and that the chapel was only thatched by George MacKenzie of Gruinard, if indeed his place of worship were not an altogether different edifice.
I incline to the opinion that the chapel dates further back than the eighteenth century. It seems to have been an episcopal church, for (1) it is placed nearly east and west; and (2) when I first knew that little ruin, its single window showed what appeared to be the remains of a mullion and tracery, which I would not have expected in a Presbyterian Church of the eighteenth century. If then the church be older than the time of George MacKenzie of Gruinard, who can say that the local tradition may not be authentic?"
The chapel has subsequently been subject to more recent research and details of this research are available on the Highland Council's website here. Current research suggests that, based on the character of present building, it was built in the late medieval period.
Between 2002 and 2004 some remedial work was carried out under the guidance of Historic Scotland. This was necessary to stabilise the structure; it was becoming unstable due to weathering. Funds were granted by the Heritage Lottery Fund and the community hopes that future work to stabilise the structure will continue.
North-west Highland Place Names
The landscape of the North-west Highlands and the Gaelic language are intimately connected. Other languages have contributed to the richness of our place names, notably Norse, but the North-west Highlands have for centuries been a Gaelic landscape. In listing the meanings of place names I have relied on authoritative sources wherever possible. For further information about sources please refer to North-west Highland Place Names in the main menu.
Gruinard Bay; possibly from the Norse grunnfjörðr meaning shallow firth.
Laide; In Gaelic it is An Leathad meaning ‘a slope’.
Sand; At Laide, in Gaelic it is Sannda from the Norse sand-à meaning ‘sand stream’, as is proved by the presence of Inbhir-Shannda, ‘estuary of the Sand Burn’. The burial place is called Cladh Inbhirshannda from the Gaelic cladh, ‘burial place’.
Udrigle; Udrigle is possibly a Norse name, however Professor Watson suggests it may be derived from the Norse útargill, meaning outer cleft or gully.
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