Bal na Keil Church


The grave of Donald MacCloud, which is only half in the church!
The grave that's inside the church -
only it isn't!

We arrived in Durness too late to catch the ferry to Cape Wrath - which was our real destination - so we looked round for other attractions to pass the time. There were few enough of them (unless you were a golfer, in which case you could play on the most northerly course on the British mainland).

Eventually we ended up at the ruined church of Bal na Keil. There we discovered the fascinating story of the clan enforcer whose many crimes made the priest reluctant to bury him in the church, but whose many relatives made it impolitic to refuse. The priest salved his conscience with a bit of architectural jiggery-pokery that kept the relatives and his conscience happy - but, of course, the real question is, will it keep God happy?

The film starts in brilliant sunshine, but those with keen eyes may detect a flurry of snowflakes in the closing scene! It was bitterly cold and two brave souls we saw attempting to surf nearby only lasted a single wave, thick wetsuits not withstanding!