Rodel Church Harris, Outer Hebrides, Western Isles, Highland. Scotland. SCO 6483
In 1528 Alasdair Crotach Macleod, 8th Chief, prepared for himself a magnificent wall tomb. Above a carved effigy of the chief, four angels circle above the Virgin Mary and two bishops; the chief's castle at Dunvegan and his galley; below is the scene of the Chief hunting stags; the weighing of his soul and an inscriptions. The arch of the tomb carries carvings of the twelve apostles; two angels and God the father holding the cross and surrounded by the beasts of the four evangelists. This is the finest late mediaeval wall tomb in Scotland. The church became ruinous in the 18th century and was restored in 1784; it was accidentally burned and restored again. In the 19th century it was used as a cow byre before being restored by Lady Dunmore in 1873. Today, at 20 metres long and 5 metres wide, the nave runs directly into the choir, but these might originally have been divided by a timber structure. In the north transept four graveslabs are displayed against the wall. These were moved from their original position in the choir floor to protect them. A fifth graveslab came from a caibeal outside near the tower. The church's main point of interest are the three tombs carved in black gneiss depicting knights in armour. One of these is the tomb of Alisdair Crotach, the 8th Chief of the MacLeods of Dunvegan, who had it sculpted for himself 19 years before his death in 1547. It is decorated with well-preserved panels containing carvings of the 12 Apostles, angels, the Holy Trinity, the 4 Evangelists, a 12-rayed sun, the Virgin and Child, bishops (one is probably Saint Clement), a hunting scene (possibly representing Crotach himself) with dogs and deer, a castle and galley (MacLeod emblems) and Saint Michael and the Devil at the weighing of souls. The square tower of the church is a unique architectural feature in these parts. Rising 20 metres above the floor of the nave, it was built on a crop of rock which makes it stand at a higher level than the rest of the church.
Size: 5620px × 3733px
Location: Rodel Church, Harris, Outer Hebrides, Western Isles, Highland. Scotland.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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