Early churches in the Kyle 
of Sutherland

A few place names, records and stone remains are the only traces of Celtic saints and early monks left in the area.

Saint Maelruba


Maelruba of Applecross (642-722) was an Irish saint active in Scotland who founded the monastic community of Applecross. He also founded a church on an island in Loch Maree, which takes its name from him. He set sail from County Down in Ireland accompanied by his mother who was related to Comgall of Bangor. His feastdate on the 21st April coincides with the day of his reported death in Applecross, at the age of 80. A small man-made island (crannog) in Loch Shin, Eilean Ma-Ruibhe, bears his name.



Saint Colman


Colman, ‘little dove’, was a favourite name among the Irish clerics, and there are dozens of St Colmans in Ireland alone. It is impossible to be sure of the particular saint who is commemorated in the names 
Kilmachalmag (Gaelic Cill-mo-Chalmaig), and Portmahomack, (Port-mo-Cholmaig), and to whom the parish church of Tarbat was dedicated. In Portmahomack there is Tobair Mo-Cholmaig, St Colman’s Well. At Kilmachalmag, near the right bank of the burn not far from its mouth, there are still traces of a very small chapel. East of Kilmachalmag is Achnahannet, which means ‘field of the mother church’ (Gaelic achadh na h-annait).

Saint Demhan

Even more difficult to identify is Demhan, Demenac or Devenic, described as an unknown Scottish saint. Associated to him in Little Creich, a few miles south-east of Bonar Bridge, we find the ancient burial ground of Creich with a ruined church and St Demhan’s Cross-slab. This prehistoric stone - 7 foot tall x 2 foot wide - was used by early Christians during the 6th-10th century when an elaborate Latin-style cross was carved onto its flat north face. It is perhaps the grave of St Demhan, although some historians think the cross resembles those seen in Pictish stones. (megalithic.co.uk)


Fearn Abbey


In 1227, an abbey for Premonstratensian monks from Whithorn Priory was founded at ‘Farne’, on the south side of the Dornoch Firth, now Wester Fearn. The founder was Ferquhard, the 1st Earl of Ross, and the first abbot was named Malcolm. He was followed by Malcolm of Nigg in 1238, and it was the latter who petitioned the Pope in 1246 to transfer the abbey to a more hospitable location at ‘New Fearn’, its present site near Tain. The reasons to relocate were the hostility of the northern clans and the need for better agricultural land.