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Beinn an Teampuill is a medieval chapel and graveyard situated on the Isle of Little Bernera in Ross-shire, Scotland. The site occupies ground underlain by ancient Lewisian gneiss, bedrock of Proterozoic age that forms the geological foundation of the Outer Hebrides. This durable metamorphic stone would have shaped both the landscape and the materials available to medieval builders in this remote island setting.
The chapel represents one of several early Christian ecclesiastical sites established across the Hebridean islands. Little Bernera, lying off the west coast of Great Britain, was within the sphere of medieval Scottish religious life, and the presence of both chapel and graveyard indicates a place of spiritual significance serving the local population. The gneiss bedrock, weathered and fractured by millennia of Atlantic exposure, would have presented particular challenges and opportunities for construction and maintenance.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM11088. This designation recognises the archaeological and historical importance of the site as evidence of medieval religious practice and settlement patterns in the Scottish islands. The chapel and its associated graveyard remain significant to understanding the cultural and spiritual heritage of this remote corner of Scotland.
Beinn an Teampuill, chapel & graveyard, Little Bernera is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11088. View the official record →
Beinn an Teampuill is a medieval chapel and graveyard situated on the Isle of Little Bernera in Ross-shire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11088.
Beinn an Teampuill, chapel & graveyard, Little Bernera dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a chapel & graveyard, little bernera. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Beinn an Teampuill, chapel & graveyard, Little Bernera is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM11088.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dun Baravat,Loch Baravat,Great Bernera (5.2 km), St Peter's Church, Pabay Mor, Lewis (5.5 km), Carnan Beag, chambered cairn 350m SSW of, Hacklete, Great Bernera (6.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Beinn an Teampuill, chapel & graveyard, Little Bernera's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Beinn an Teampuill, chapel & graveyard, Little Bernera stands on Lewisian Complex, bedrock that formed in the Proterozoic. The rock here is gneiss.