Kildalton Church & High Cross

After wandering around Bowmore I met up with Laura again at her work. We drove to the (incredibly tiny) airport in Ìle to pick up one of Laura's co-workers, who had been up north somewhere making a presentation - in which she included Gaelic, but she did not win the award, much to her chagrin. This girl is a few years older than I, and is a tall, loud American. She wasn't as awful as I was fearing - I thought I wouldn't be able to stand her, but even though she was "a bit rough around the edges" as Laura put it (from  her own account she drinks like a fish!) she endeared herself to me by talking about Selkies (though I got to silently crow to myself when I realised she hadn't read the selkie stories of Duncan Williamson. IF you are into Scottish folklore, and especially selkies, it DOES seem surprising to not have heard of Duncan Williamson!) and claiming that her boyfriend - a resident of the island - was a real-life selkie.

Anyway, Laura told this girl - Anne - that she would have to come with us to the Kildalton Cross before we took her home. She agreed.

Apologies for the skirt - it was a windy day! I don't think I'm flashing anything too shocking. THIS cross is the real McCoy: this was carved 1300 yrs. ago and is one of the earliest examples of a Christian cross.

The empty shell of the church.

Detail of the cross, with Celtic and Viking influence.

A medieval grave slab.

This once was out in the open - possibly on the ground, and has now been set protectively in one of the empty windows. This is a very detailed example of this kind of figure.

Detail

I liked the white designs on the stones - mould? I'm not sure...

An informative sign - in Gaelic and English! 

Another cross outside of the area of the church.

Looking back at the church.