Cill Chriosd

Cill Chriosd, also known as Kilchrist Church, is a ruined 16th-century parish church on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, located on the B8083 road between Broadford and Elgol in Strath Suardal. It served as the parish church for Strath for over 300 years, including the clearance villages of Boreraig and Susinish.

Christian worship at this site is thought to date back to the 7th century, when St Mael Ruba preached from nearby Cnoc na-Aifhreann (“Hill of the Mass”). The first stone church here likely appeared in the medieval period, and the present ruins replaced that earlier structure in the 1500s. Written records begin in 1505 with chaplain Kenneth Adamson. The first Protestant minister, Neil Mackinnon, was appointed in 1627; he was known for his strictness and reportedly reporting Catholics to authorities. The church was used until 1840, when the parish was moved to Broadford. The site now stands roofless, with parts of the earlier medieval west gable still visible.

The ruins are a low, rubble-built rectangle, about 53 ft long by 17.5 ft wide, with walls up to 8 ft high and over 2 ft thick. The south wall has three inwardly splayed windows, and the east gable features a balustraded burial enclosure for Clan Mackinnon. Inside, the nave measures roughly 52 ft 9 in by 17 ft 6 in. The building is oriented about 30° from east–west and has no openings on the north or west walls.

Cill Chriosd sits atop a small mound, with a graveyard containing 18th–19th century gravestones, some Celtic crosses, and a section of a crudely carved cross head. Nearby, Beinn Na Caillich rises to the west, and Loch Cill Chriosd lies to the south-west. The site offers panoramic views of Strath Suardal and the surrounding mountains.

5 thoughts on “Cill Chriosd

  1. derrickjknight 2026-06-22 / 6:02 am

    Another fine history to accompany these beautifully atmospheric photos

    • Sherry Felix 2026-06-22 / 7:57 am

      Thank you Derrick. They felt better in black and white.

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