Monument record 432 - ST. COWSTAN'S CHAPEL, GARRABOST, LEWIS

NB53SW 4 5163 3355.
(NB 516 335) St. Cowstan's Chapel (NR) (Site of)
OS 6"map, Ross-shire, 2nd ed., (1898)

Martin lists the church of "Garbost" as "St. Cutchou" but also refers to it as "St. Cowsten's".
M Martin 1934.

"About 40 years ago the remaining walls of this ancient edifice were completely levelled by the people of this neighbourhood, who used the stones for building the walls of huts etc. At present there is not the smallest vestige of anything on the ground.
Name Book 1848.

St. Cowstan's Chapel, listed as site.
RCAHMS 1928.

The whole of this area is now divided up into small plots by barbed wire fences: not checked.
Visited by OS (A L F R) assistent archaeology officer, 23, April 1964.

There is now nothing to be seen at the site of Teampall Chuisdean, as marked on the 1st ed. Map. The area is as described by the OS in 1964, being covered now by the crofts of Garrabost. The site of the teampall is in three crofts along from 30 Garrabost (possibly 32 or 33 Garrabost) and slightly irregular ground can be seen on the brow of the hill in the crofts. This may indicate the area of pre-crofting settlement at Garrabost, and it would be likely that the chapel would be situated in this same area, close to the settlement. Tobar Chuisdean however, is still well known. It is situated at the top of the cliff line at NB 61368 33760 and falls from here down the cliff to the beach below. Immediately to the north of the beach is Dun Mor, a promontory fort and Scheduled aAncient Monument.
Barrowman 2005, 65

The Chapman Gibbs Map 1807-09 indicates an isolated building enclosed by a dashed line enclosure on three sides and bound by the slope and river to the SE. It is likely that this is a representation of the chapel. The settlement at Garrabost at this time is shown appoximately 3/4 of a km away to the SW.
KM (Arch Service CnES) 20/01/2025

Martin Martin, 1695a, A Description of the Western Islands of Scotland c. 1695, 7, 27 (see 2nd ed., 1716) (Bibliographic reference). SWE5082.

Chapman, James / Gibbs, Alexander, 1807-09, Plan of [the] Island of Lewis (Cartographic materials). SWE41337.

RCAHMS, 1928, The RCAHMCS 9th Report & Inventory: Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles, 17, No. 61 (Bibliographic reference). SWE5587.

Name Book (County), 1998, Name Books of the Ordnance Survey, Book No. 21A, 41 (Unpublished document). SWE4254.

Rachel Barrowman, 2005, Lewis Coastal Chapel-sites Survey 2004/5 (Unpublished document). SWE41095.