A visit the remains of Trumpan Church and the crofting township of Stein on the Waternish peninsular of the Isle of Skye.
On Location: 20th April 2024
Introduction: Some years ago we stayed in a holiday cottage in the small village of Stein so out of curiosity we headed off to recall our trip. I had also read of the troubled history of Trumpan church which lies to the north of Stein so we put that on the itinerary for the day. We headed to the church first.
Trumpan Church. Reached by driving north on the B886 on the west side of the Waternish peninsular.
Parking: There is a free parking area at Trumpan Church GR: NG 2246 6126 What Three Words ///hinted.zoos.diner room for plenty of cars. From there it is a short walk to the grounds of the church.
Refreshments: There are no facilities at this remote location. There is a café near Stein Yurtea & Coffee check their Facebook page for opening times. The Stein Inn is a popular pub which also provides accommodation.
Stein. Free parking in the village at GR: NG 2638 5637 What Three Words ///signed.dummy.gravy
As we drove north towards Trumpan the village of Stein and Loch Bay were down below us on the left. We will be calling there later. The Outer Hebrides are on the horizon past Dunvegan Head.
The church will be a great location for photographs at sunset of in atmospheric weather. We were there at late morning. We parked up and walked across the track into the grounds of the church.
Trumpan church has a dark history. A fierce clan rivalry between the MacDonald’s and MacLeod’s in the 1570’s. During a raiding party in 1577 by the Macleod’s of Skye to the isle of Eigg the entire population of the island, 395 of the clan MacDonald died of suffocation in a cave after the Macleod’s set a fire at the cave entrance. On the first Sunday in May 1578, the resident MacLeod’s were gathered for Sunday worship in Trumpan church. At the same time eight boats of the Clan MacDonald from Uist landed in Ardmore Bay, just to the west of Trumpan. The raiding party blocked the door of the church and set fire to the thatched roof. The only MacLeod to escape alive was a young girl who managed to squeeze through a window. She raised the alarm, apparently after running to Dunvegan, ten miles away. MacLeod’s from further afield were called to arms. By now the MacDonald’s had returned to their ships in Ardmore Bay, but the retreating tide meant that their boats were left stranded. The MacLeod’s are said to have unfurled their famed Fairy Flag, and in the battle that followed the entire MacDonald raiding party was killed. The bodies of the dead MacDonald’s were lined up beside a dry stone wall or dyke, and were buried by the simple method of having the dyke pushed over on top of them. The event has since been remembered as “The Battle of the Spoiling of the Dyke”. The township of Trumpan was never re-established, and the church has remained a ruin. A simple memorial to some horrific events.
Within the ground of the church is this moss covered standing stone.
At about 1.4m ( 4ft 8 inches) the stone has several names. Heaven Stone, Trial Stone (Clach Deuchainn) and the Priest’s Stone which relate to the tale that a person accused of lying would be taken to the stone and blindfolded.
They would then have to attempt to insert a finger directly into the hole. If they succeeded they were telling the truth and Heaven awaited them. If however they failed they were deemed to be lying and would apparently have a less favourable fate.
The small hole can be found on the seaward face of the stone. A piece of the stone has recently flaked off.
More modern lichen headstones can be found in the graveyard, a sign of clean air.
Even the surrounding churchyard walls are covered in mosses and lichens.
Lesser celandine in full bloom in the churchyard.
Doorway to the church with Macleod’s Tables in the distance.
A stone basin lies just inside the ruined walls, believed to be the old font of the church.
From Trumpan Church we drove back south along the road to visit the small fishing hamlet of Stein, once called Lochbay.
Stein village was conceived by the British Fisheries Society in the late 1700’s. The plan was to provide displaced crofters with work in the fishing industry. Model villages were planned on the west coast of Scotland, some to the design of Thomas Telford. Very little of the scheme at Stein materialised due to various factors. It is now basically a jetty with a row of houses looking seaward.
Only a couple of fishing boats are near the jetty.
There is little to see in the village, it does have a very nice pub, The Stein Inn, a Michelin starred restaurant The Loch Bay and an art gallery Dandelion Designs. Just outside the village is Skyeskyns, well worth a visit.
Stein is just one of those places to visit on Skye, and chill. Great potential for sketching and painting, as was Trumpan church. Just my sort of places.
I hope that you have enjoyed this simple blog, just one of our trips on the Isle of Skye.
Thanks for reading.
