If you like exploring old graveyards the one at Trumpan Church is a good one. It is a very small, ruin of a church and has a great and dark history. Tucked away at the end of the Waternish peninsula it is well worth a visit. On a clear day the views across The Minch to the Western Isles are superb.
Trumpan Church location.
Trumpan Church is located at Ardmore at the end of the Waternish Peninsula in North West Skye. From the A850 Portree-Dunvegan road take the turning to Waternish B886. Follow the single track road to a T junction. Here turn right, the road swings sharply left at SkyeSkyns. Follow this road until you reach Trumpan Church, the car park is on the opposite side of the road. This is also the location of one of Skye’s Dark Sky sites.
When we visited the grass in the graveyard was very long which made walking more difficult. As with all such sites proceed carefully looking out for hidden hazards such as stones, rocks and grave stones. Sarah used two sticks rather than her rollator though if the grass had been mowed this may have been an option. It is difficult to tell if it would be more accessible mown until we have seen it this way so I would suggest you evaluate it yourself depending on your ability and the conditions on the day.
The Trial Stone
You may notice a large Prehistoric standing stone near to the church ruins. On closer inspection you will see there is a hole in the far side of it. This stone is known as the Trial Stone or the Heaven Stone. The story goes that a person would be lead up to the stone while blindfolded and if they were able to put a finger in the hole without being able to see it they were telling the truth and would therefore eventually ascend to Heaven. If, however, they missed they were lying and headed for a very different final destination. The Gaelic name for the Trial Stone is Clach Deuchainn.
If stories such as this interest you Otta Swire’s book “Skye, The Island and its Legends” may interest you. It guides you around the island telling the tales of each individual area. Waternish has many tales of fairies and witches too. It is believed that the Trial Stone may have been used during the witchcraft trials in the area.
A Bloody History at Trumpan Church
If you are able to explore the graveyard you will notice that many family names crop up again and again. MacLeod is one very common name in this part of Skye. In 1578, Trumpan Church was the site of a revenge attack on the MacLeods by the MacDonalds of Uist. The MacDonalds crept up on the church, which was filled by a worshipping congregation. They barred the only door and set fire to the thatch, killing all the occupants except one young girl. She subsequently died of her injuries, but was instrumental in raising the alarm and thus securing the butchering of all the MacDonalds by the men of MacLeod of Dunvegan. The corpses of the MacDonalds were dragged back up the hill and then buried by collapsing a turf wall onto them. Due to this action the conflict was named the “Battle of the Spoiling of the Dyke”.
Gravestones of note
The graveyard is where renowned English psychologist, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst, John Bowlby is lain to rest . Bowlby is known for his work on child development and his leading contribution to attachment theory. He died on Skye in 1990, at the age of 83.
It is also the resting place of Lady Grange, wife of The Hon James Erskine Lord Grange who died 1745. Her remains were buried here following a terrible series of events instigated by her husband who at the time was the Lord Advocate of Scotland.
Lord and Lady Grange lived in Edinburgh until their marriage broke down in 1730, at which point Lady Grange moved out of the marital home. After this, Lady Grange took to standing outside the house shouting obscenities and being a general embarrassment. She also threatened to reveal that her husband had been involved in the Jacobite rising of 1715.
In April 1732 her husband arranged, with help from other Jacobites, for her to be abducted from her home in Edinburgh. She was first taken to Linlithgow and then to Polmaise Castle near Stirling, where she was held for four months. After a time of being moved around the Highlands, she was put on the very remote island of Haskeir where she was kept for two years.
In May 1734 she was moved to Hirta, St Kilda. There she was held incommunicado for the eight years until 1742. During that time, Lord Grange announced her death and held a false funeral in Edinburgh. Lady Grange managed to get a note out from St Kilda to her cousin, who sent a gunboat to rescue her. Before the boat arrived Lady Grange had been moved again, this time via Assynt to Skye. Here she was left alone to survive her final three years in a local cave. And she now finally rests in Trumpan Graveyard.
Before you leave the Waternish Peninsula maybe take a drive down to Lochbay. Here you will find a few places offering food, drink and toilet facilities. As well as the local jetty and shoreline to explore. In the future we are likely to visit some of the local eateries so keep an eye open for our reviews.