[Dòmhnall Angaidh Moireasdan – Preseantair] Tha obair càraidh air seann eaglais eachdraidheil anns an Eilean Dubh a’ tighinn gu crìoch agus tha Urras Cille Mhìcheil an dòchas gum bi i fosgailte don phoball aig deireadh a’ Ghiblein. Ach tron obair, air an làraich tha iad air rudan a bharrachd ionnsachadh, mun eaglais agus na daoine a bha san sgìre. Chaidh Seonaidh MacCoinnich ann dhuinne a dh’ fhaicinn an adhartais a thathas air a bhith dèanamh leis a’ phròiseact.
[Davine Nic An t-Sutharlanaich] Chaidh an eaglaise a stèidheachadh anns na Meadhan Aoisean, ron 15mh linn, an toiseach leis a’ pharaiste aice fhèin agus bho 1662, còmhla ri Eaglais Cùl a’ Chùdainn, mar pharaiste ùr Ruith Sholais. Agus chaidh trì eaglaisean an cleachdadh aig an àm seo mar pharaiste uabhasach mòr, paraiste gu math beairteach a bh’ ann aig an àm sin.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Ach thairis air na bliadhnaichean thuit an eaglais às a chèile agus tha an cladh ann an droch staid. Anns an Ògmhios an-uiridh, thòisich Urras Cille Mhìcheil air obair càraidh air an làraich agus chaidh stuth inntinneach a lorg.
[Dr Seumas MacAoidh] We had to remove surplus soil from the nave and my word, what things we found in there, we found a whole pile of coins dating back to the 1600s. We found a prehistoric flint; a flint arrowhead which we think was probably placed with one of the graves as a good luck charm. There is only one Gaelic inscription in the whole of Kirkmichael, which is very, very surprising because at the time that stone was erected, the early 1800s, just about every single person in the parish spoke Gaelic.
[Dr Seumas MacAoidh] This is the stone to an elderly and devoted servant of the Gunn / Munro family. The Gunn / Munros are buried within the mausoleum here but because the lady here wasn’t actually a member of the family, they wanted her close to the family but not actually inside the mausoleum.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Ach b’ e an rud bu chudromaiche, gum bu chòir mullach na h-eaglaise a chur ceart.
[Davine Nic An t-Sutharlanaich] Chì thu gum bi mullach ùr ann, ach a’ cleachdadh nan sglèataichean a bha ann cho fad ‘s a ghabhas. ‘S tha clachan agus sglèataichean ùra ann cuideachd agus bhon sgìre ionadail agus tha iad air an cleachdadh le dòighean obrach traidiseanta. Agus chì thu gu bheil mullach spaideil ùr ann.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Fhuair daoine cothrom cuideachd a bhith an sàs sa phròiseact agus sgilean traidiseanta ionnsachadh. Tha an t-Urras an dòchas gum bi an eaglais fosgailte don phoball a-rithist sa Chèitean. Seonaidh NicCoinnich, BBC An Là, An t-Eilean Dubh.
[Donald Morrison – Presenter] Repair work on an old historic church in the Black Isle is near completion and the Kirkmichael Trust hope that it will be open to the public at the end of April. But through working on the site, they’ve learned more about the church and the people who were in the area. Seonaidh MacKenzie went there for us to see what progress has been made with the project.
[Davine Sutherland] The church was founded in the Middle Ages, before the 15th Century, serving as a parish in its own right. Then from 1662 it was amalgamated with Cullicudden Church, as the new parish of Resolis. Three churches were used at this time as one very large parish and it was a very wealthy parish at that time.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] But over the years the church has fallen into disrepair and the graveyard is in a bad state. In June last year, the Kirkmichael Trust began repair work on the site and interesting objects were discovered.
[Dr James MacKay] We had to remove surplus soil from the nave and my word, what things we found in there, we found a whole pile of coins dating back to the 1600s. We found a prehistoric flint; a flint arrowhead which we think was probably placed with one of the graves as a good luck charm. There is only one Gaelic inscription in the whole of Kirkmichael, which is very, very surprising because at the time that stone was erected, the early 1800s, just about every single person in the parish spoke Gaelic.
[Dr James MacKay] This is the stone to an elderly and devoted servant of the Gunn / Munro family. The Gunn / Munros are buried within the mausoleum here but because the lady here wasn’t actually a member of the family, they
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] But the most important thing was to get the roof repaired.
[Davine Sutherland] You can see that there will be a new roof, but using the original slates as far as that is possible. There are new stones and slates as well that have been sourced locally and they are being utilised using traditional working methods. And you can see that there’s a smart new roof now.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] People were also given the opportunity to be involved in the project and learn traditional skills. The Trust hope that the church will be open to the public again in May. Seonaidh MacKenzie, BBC An Là, the Black Isle.
[Dòmhnall Angaidh Moireasdan – Preseantair] Tha obair càraidh air seann eaglais eachdraidheil anns an Eilean Dubh a’ tighinn gu crìoch agus tha Urras Cille Mhìcheil an dòchas gum bi i fosgailte don phoball aig deireadh a’ Ghiblein. Ach tron obair, air an làraich tha iad air rudan a bharrachd ionnsachadh, mun eaglais agus na daoine a bha san sgìre. Chaidh Seonaidh MacCoinnich ann dhuinne a dh’ fhaicinn an adhartais a thathas air a bhith dèanamh leis a’ phròiseact.
[Davine Nic An t-Sutharlanaich] Chaidh an eaglaise a stèidheachadh anns na Meadhan Aoisean, ron 15mh linn, an toiseach leis a’ pharaiste aice fhèin agus bho 1662, còmhla ri Eaglais Cùl a’ Chùdainn, mar pharaiste ùr Ruith Sholais. Agus chaidh trì eaglaisean an cleachdadh aig an àm seo mar pharaiste uabhasach mòr, paraiste gu math beairteach a bh’ ann aig an àm sin.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Ach thairis air na bliadhnaichean thuit an eaglais às a chèile agus tha an cladh ann an droch staid. Anns an Ògmhios an-uiridh, thòisich Urras Cille Mhìcheil air obair càraidh air an làraich agus chaidh stuth inntinneach a lorg.
[Dr Seumas MacAoidh] We had to remove surplus soil from the nave and my word, what things we found in there, we found a whole pile of coins dating back to the 1600s. We found a prehistoric flint; a flint arrowhead which we think was probably placed with one of the graves as a good luck charm. There is only one Gaelic inscription in the whole of Kirkmichael, which is very, very surprising because at the time that stone was erected, the early 1800s, just about every single person in the parish spoke Gaelic.
[Dr Seumas MacAoidh] This is the stone to an elderly and devoted servant of the Gunn / Munro family. The Gunn / Munros are buried within the mausoleum here but because the lady here wasn’t actually a member of the family, they wanted her close to the family but not actually inside the mausoleum.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Ach b’ e an rud bu chudromaiche, gum bu chòir mullach na h-eaglaise a chur ceart.
[Davine Nic An t-Sutharlanaich] Chì thu gum bi mullach ùr ann, ach a’ cleachdadh nan sglèataichean a bha ann cho fad ‘s a ghabhas. ‘S tha clachan agus sglèataichean ùra ann cuideachd agus bhon sgìre ionadail agus tha iad air an cleachdadh le dòighean obrach traidiseanta. Agus chì thu gu bheil mullach spaideil ùr ann.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Fhuair daoine cothrom cuideachd a bhith an sàs sa phròiseact agus sgilean traidiseanta ionnsachadh. Tha an t-Urras an dòchas gum bi an eaglais fosgailte don phoball a-rithist sa Chèitean. Seonaidh NicCoinnich, BBC An Là, An t-Eilean Dubh.
[Donald Morrison – Presenter] Repair work on an old historic church in the Black Isle is near completion and the Kirkmichael Trust hope that it will be open to the public at the end of April. But through working on the site, they’ve learned more about the church and the people who were in the area. Seonaidh MacKenzie went there for us to see what progress has been made with the project.
[Davine Sutherland] The church was founded in the Middle Ages, before the 15th Century, serving as a parish in its own right. Then from 1662 it was amalgamated with Cullicudden Church, as the new parish of Resolis. Three churches were used at this time as one very large parish and it was a very wealthy parish at that time.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] But over the years the church has fallen into disrepair and the graveyard is in a bad state. In June last year, the Kirkmichael Trust began repair work on the site and interesting objects were discovered.
[Dr James MacKay] We had to remove surplus soil from the nave and my word, what things we found in there, we found a whole pile of coins dating back to the 1600s. We found a prehistoric flint; a flint arrowhead which we think was probably placed with one of the graves as a good luck charm. There is only one Gaelic inscription in the whole of Kirkmichael, which is very, very surprising because at the time that stone was erected, the early 1800s, just about every single person in the parish spoke Gaelic.
[Dr James MacKay] This is the stone to an elderly and devoted servant of the Gunn / Munro family. The Gunn / Munros are buried within the mausoleum here but because the lady here wasn’t actually a member of the family, they
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] But the most important thing was to get the roof repaired.
[Davine Sutherland] You can see that there will be a new roof, but using the original slates as far as that is possible. There are new stones and slates as well that have been sourced locally and they are being utilised using traditional working methods. And you can see that there’s a smart new roof now.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] People were also given the opportunity to be involved in the project and learn traditional skills. The Trust hope that the church will be open to the public again in May. Seonaidh MacKenzie, BBC An Là, the Black Isle.