Monument record 10289 - ECC 8.5/22 Eilean Croix

"Situated at the highest point on the Eilean Croix at the eastern end of Eilean Chalium Cille this cairn measures 1.1 metres in diameter and stands to a height of 1.6 metres. The form and location are absolutely typical of navigation cairns seen all around the shores of Lewis, and of such cairns identified in the Eilean Chalium Cille area (8) this is by far the best example. While dating such a structure is impossible, it is clear from the state of the turf growth surrounding the feature and the moss/lichen growth on the stones that it has stood, largely unchanged, for some considerable time. The other possibility that has also to be considered is that this cairn, or another structure on the same site, was once the base for a religious cross. The island on which it stands is named Eilean Croix - Island of the Cross, or Cross Island. Furthermore, the location of this island is significant, being at the eastern end of Eilean Chalium Cille. Any cross located at this point would be clear in all but the worst weather to anybody approaching the mouth of Loch Erisort and as such would have announced the location of the putative monastery that is thought to have stood on, or close to the site of the current Chapel of St Columba (15.3)." (Burgess 2003, 97)

Chris Burgess, Northamptonshire Archaeology, 2004, Archaeological Survey and Evaluation of Eilean Chalium Chille and the Putative Site of the Seaforth Head Castle (Unpublished document). SWE41054.