“Mugstot, properly Monkstead, stands on a slightly elevated spot surrounded by a swampy meadow, formerly the bed of a lake, some two or three miles from Uig, in the direction of Kilmuir Kirk. Like Skeabost, it exhibits a group of greatly ruinated buildings, three in number, standing in a line from north to south. The southernmost building, which is 22 feet long inside, and pointed east and west, is the least dilapidated, and evidently the Chapel of St. Columba mentioned by Martin. The intermediate ruins are little more than the foundations of an oblong building, 49 feet in length, and standing north and south.” Then follows a description of what has apparently been a circular cashel. “The other building is of oval form, measuring internally about 62 feet east and west, and 42 feet north and south, the walls composed of irregularly-shaped stones, mostly of large size, uncemented, but fitly put together. This building is very much broken down, but least dilapidated on the east, where it is still some 7 or 8 feet high. Within the area are observable the foundations of walls crossing each other at right angles, the spaces between having probably been vaulted cells.”[67]
HOWMORE, South Uist.
At Mr. Muir’s first visit there were here remains of a group of five chapels ([Fig. 33]) all close together, but on his second visit he found one removed. “The missing one was a very characteristic building, the smallest of the group, with a very narrow rectangular window and a short sloping doorway in the east end. Externally it measured only 17½ feet in length.
Fig. 33.—Hoghmore, South Uist.
Of those still remaining, the largest has been about 60 feet in length. Scarcely anything of it is standing more than the east wall, a long cruciform couplet [widely splayed inside and looking like first pointed],[88] in which shows that the building had been the finest and largest of the lot. The next largest is internally rather more than 54 feet in length. Of it, also, the only remains is the east wall [pierced with a narrow flat-headed window ([Fig. 34]), 2 feet long and 6 inches wide, extremely rude].[68] The two other chapels are each about 20 feet in length, not so much reduced, but with no features deserving notice. [In the east gable there is a flat-headed window of very small size, and on the south side there is one much of the same kind; on the north side are remains of a doorway—the west end blank.][69] In two of the chapels the altar is still extant, and there are also fine memorial slabs.”[70]
“Of the chapels, the largest is externally 20 feet in length,”[71] with small flat-headed windows—west end blank. Of the two other chapels, the largest is 19 feet 4 inches in length, with flat-topped window. The other (now removed), 17 feet 7 inches long externally, by 11 feet 6 inches wide; walls rudely built. The doorway, with inclining jambs and flat head, was in the east end; above, in gable, a flat-headed window, 14 inches long by 3 inches wide.
