The site at Gartan encompasses multiple religious monuments within and around a stone-walled graveyard, offering visitors a glimpse into centuries of Irish Christian heritage. At the heart of the complex stand the weathered remains of a structure known as ‘the Abbey’, measuring roughly 11.8 metres east to west and 5.2 metres north to south. Though its mortared stone walls now rise only 30 to 60 centimetres high, an ashlar quoin in the southwest corner hints at its once more substantial construction.

The most intact structure on the site is St. Columbkille’s Chapel, situated just southwest of the main graveyard. This modest rectangular church, built from rubble with ashlar quoins, dates to the 16th century and measures 6 metres by 3.95 metres internally. Historical records from 1622 describe it as having a thatched roof and being in good repair, and it apparently remained in use until at least 1810. Though a fierce storm at the end of the 19th century brought down the east gable and damaged the east window, subsequent repairs have preserved many original features, including round-headed windows with moulded jambs and pointed doorways bearing the characteristic punch dressing of 16th-century stonework. Inside, an altar stands against the eastern wall, flanked by two projecting stone shelves.

Scattered around the main structures are several intriguing features that speak to the site’s long history as a place of pilgrimage. Two badly weathered stone crosses stand sentinel; one 20 metres northwest of the graveyard atop a rocky mound, the other 20 metres to the south, where pilgrims have traditionally left small stones as part of a turas (pilgrimage circuit). Near the southern cross, a holy well surrounded by a modern concrete wall continues to draw visitors seeking connection with St. Colmcille’s legacy. Adjacent to the chapel, a curious semicircular flagstone bearing a shallow circular depression adds another layer of mystery to this complex religious landscape that has served as a focal point for devotion since medieval times.