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St Macra's Church, Kirkibost is a ruined medieval church standing on the Lewisian Complex gneiss that underlies Ross-shire. The bedrock here, formed during the Proterozoic aeon, is amongst the oldest rock in Britain. The church occupies a landscape shaped by glaciation, where the ancient foundation stone would have offered stable ground for a place of worship that has served its locality for centuries.
The site commemorates St Macra, an obscure early Christian saint whose veneration was localised to this corner of the Highlands. The kirkibost, or burial ground associated with a saint's church, reflects a settlement pattern common across northern Scotland, where ecclesiastical sites often marked territorial and social boundaries. The ruined walls visible today represent the remnants of successive periods of use and adaptation typical of parish churches that evolved from medieval times onwards.
Protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5236, St Macra's Church, Kirkibost survives as evidence of the deep Christian heritage of Ross-shire and the enduring importance of such sites within their communities. The monument stands testament to medieval ecclesiastical organisation in the Highlands, where churches and their associated burial grounds formed focal points of local identity across generations.
St Macra's Church,Kirkibost is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5236. View the official record →
St Macra's Church, Kirkibost is a ruined medieval church standing on the Lewisian Complex gneiss that underlies Ross-shire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM5236.
St Macra's Church,Kirkibost 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 SM5236.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rubha nan Sidhean,cupmarked rocks and fish trap,Kirkibost (0.9 km), Airigh Mhaoldonuich,fallen standing stone (1.4 km), Aird Callanish,cairn 200m SW of,Crulivig (2.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of St Macra's Church,Kirkibost'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.
St Macra's Church,Kirkibost stands on Lewisian Complex, bedrock that formed in the Proterozoic. The rock here is gneiss.