Inch Kenneth, Medieval chapel ruins in Inner Hebrides, Scotland.
Inch Kenneth is a small island lying just off the western shore of Mull, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is mostly grassland, with sea cliffs along its edges and the remains of a medieval chapel and a manor house sitting on its surface.
An Irish monastic community settled here in the early Christian centuries and built a sanctuary, the chapel of which still partly stands. Over time the island passed through the hands of the MacLean family and then, in the 20th century, to the Mitford sisters.
The island takes its name from an Irish saint who lived and prayed here many centuries ago. The chapel ruins remain visible today and give a sense of how that early Christian community used this ground.
The island has no regular ferry service, so visitors need to arrange a private boat crossing from Mull. The ground is uneven and often damp, so sturdy footwear is a practical necessity before setting out.
Samuel Johnson visited in 1773 and described the island in his account of the Hebrides journey. His notes are among the earliest surviving written records of everyday life here.
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