Hugh MacKay's grave

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Hugh MacKay's grave is an underground tomb on the Scottish Hebridean island of Orsay . It is located on the north-western enclosure of the cemetery of St Oran's Chapel about 60 m south of the northwest coast of the island. On July 20, 1971, Hugh MacKay's grave was added to the British List of Monuments in Category B.

description

Hugh MacKay, who was buried there, belonged to a family of administrative officials who were responsible for regional administrative tasks. They served the leaders of the MacDonald clan when they ruled over Islay and parts of the Hebrides as Lords of the Isles .

The grave construction is the only remaining evidence of burial within the cemetery walls, as all crosses and stones were likely removed during the construction of the lighthouse on Orsay . Different information can be found about the dimensions of the grave. While in records from 1974 the length of the crypt is given as 3 m with a width of 1.8 m and a height of 1.1 m, from 1978 a base area of ​​1.95 × 0.5 m 2 recorded at unknown altitude. The approximately 50 cm thick walls of the underground grave are made of quarry stone, which was grouted with clay mortar. Flat rubble stones were used as cover, which were covered again with rubble. The construction of the tomb is estimated to be in the late Middle Ages.

Fragments of the cross found nearby can be viewed in the Islay Museum today . They are possibly from the 6th to 8th centuries. Century. They are probably unrelated to Hugh MacKay's grave.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
  2. ↑ a b c Entry on Island Chapel  in Canmore, the database of Historic Environment Scotland (English)

Coordinates: 55 ° 40 ′ 32.8 "  N , 6 ° 30 ′ 44"  W.