7th-century chapel dig hopes to find link to St Columba on isle of Mull

AN ARCHAELOGICAL dig aimed at linking the hidden secrets of an ancient Christian chapel site with St Columba, below, has been launched on the isle of Mull.

Seven archaeologists, assisted by a 50-strong army of volunteers, are working on an intensive 28-day excavation at the seventh century chapel site.

Dr Clare Ellis, who is leading the dig at Balisgate, near Tobermory, said clues had already emerged to suggest it had been a “daughter chapel” 
of St Columba’s monastery on Iona.

Dr Ellis, of Argyll Archaeology, said: “St Columba had a miracle cure, where he blessed white stones, and we have found white pebbles at the chapel leacht where a stone cross would have sat.

“St Columba died in 597 and parts of a juvenile’s skull that was found here have been carbon dated to the 7th century AD, to 610-690, so there is a real possibility that this could have been a daughter chapel to Iona Abbey.”