Saints in Scottish Place-Names
Funded by a Leverhulme Trust Project Grant
St Mary's Church, South Uist
Grid reference
NF 758 364 (accurate position)
Six-figure easting & northing
75800 836400
Latitude
57.302883047708534
Longitude
-7.384427680220895
Nearby places
Caibeal Dhiarmaid, South Uist (0 miles)
St Columba's Church, South Uist (0 miles)
Howmore, former parish South Uist (0 miles)
Ardmichael, South Uist (2.55 miles)
Cladh Mhicheil, South Uist (2.59 miles)
Object Classification
Antiquity
Ecclesiastical
Is linear feature?
No
Notes
Martin Martin (1703, 155): 'Churches here are St Columba and St Mary's at Hogh-more, the most centrical place on the island'. This may be the same place as the building marked Teampull Mor on OS maps (for Teampull Mhoire); on the other hand it may simply be meant for Teampull Mòr 'big church'. Reynolds, Hamilton and Raven refer to it in 2004 as Teampull Mhoire, suggesting the Marian dedication (NMRS for this site). Mary Miers (2008): 'Howmore (An t'-Hogh Mor), 12th/13th century (if Norse origin, haugr = burial mound) Occupying a prehistoric site and possibly dating back to the 6th century (an Early Christian graveslab lies among the ruins), this fragmentary group of two medieval churches and two surviving chapels is one of the most important religious sites in the Outer Hebrides. It became an important seat of learning during the Lordship of the Isles and was the burial place of the Clanranald chiefs after the Reformation. By the end of the 17th century the buildings were probably ruinous. Several burial enclosures and the kirkyard wall, mid-late 19th century.' See NMRS for further discussion and description.
Relationships with other places
Adjacent Caibeal Dhiarmaid, South Uist
Adjacent St Columba's Church, South Uist
Names
1 head-name linked to this place ?St Mary's Church
Head name
St Mary's Church
Place
St Mary's Church, South Uist
Certainty that this name applies to this place
Certain
The status of this name is
Hypothetical
Is this a current OS form? ?
No
Is this the original referent of the place?
Yes
Is the association of this name to this object hypothetical?
No
St Mary's 1703, Martin 1703
Historic formSt Mary's Head nameSt Mary's Church PlaceSt Mary's Church, South Uist Certainty that this name applies to this placeCertain SourceMartin 1703, 155 Date of citation1703 x 1703 Notes on the context of this place-nameThe 1981 reprint is of the second edition of this work, published 1716. K. Ahronson has a date of 1994. |
Source code
Martin 1703
Author
Martin Martin
Source title
A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland
Year
1703
Notes
The 1981 reprint is of the second edition of this work, published 1716. K. Ahronson has a date of 1994.
Saints in this place-name
Mary, Mary the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady (ns) (certain)
Mary the Blessed Virgin (certain)