The flood tide runs from north-west to south-east. There is a landing-place at the south point and on west side, but not at north point. The name Egilsey or Egilshay is derived from an ancient form of the Gaelic word eaglais, a church (derived from ecclesia), with the Norse addition of ey, an island.
Fig. 97.—Church on Egilsey. Ground Plan.
Professor Munch infers that the Norsemen founded a church here, and called the island after it; and if this is the case, the date of the erection of the church is put very far back, unless we suppose this to be a second church. It was dedicated to St. Magnus; but this might be a second dedication, and probably was so. At the end of this article are further remarks on this point. The church is complete, except the roofs and the upper part of the tower, and was used up to about 18—as the place of worship. It consists of a chancel nave and tower at the west end of the nave, and stands nearly exactly east and west. ([Fig. 97.])
The only alterations which appear to have been made in the building are two or three windows. The ground plan shows a proportion which, if not intentional, is singular. If four circles of the exterior diameter of the tower are laid down in a line, and the first occupied by the tower, the second and third fill the inside of the nave, and the fourth takes in the chancel, including the side walls, but excluding the east wall. The whole is of grey whinstone, without any freestone dressings, and has become very picturesque in colour, from the rich grey lichen on some parts and bright yellow lichen on others.
The masonry is chiefly in courses, but the size of the stones very irregular, some being as large as 4 feet long and 1 foot 6 inches deep. The interstices are filled with very small stones. Here and there irregular blocks are inserted.
The whole is built with mortar.
The extreme length is 62 feet 9 inches, and the extreme width is 21 feet 7 inches.
The nave is 29 feet 9 inches by 15 feet 6 inches inside. The north and south walls are 3 feet thick. On the north and south, opposite each other, are two doorways 2 feet 6 inches wide. These have round arched