Kilchoman Church

[low_delta]

After Kilnave Chapel at Loch Gruinart, my dad and I made our way west. We stopped at Kilchoman Distillery for a taste (after photographing the barley field). They closed at 6, and we were there a little past that. Then we went a little further west, nearly to the end of the road, where we'd seen an old church.

It's derelict, with the windows bricked up and the roof fallen in.


It was built in the mid-1800's, and closed in 1974, when the population of the local area had dropped to almost nothing.

There had been a church on the site for centuries. The old one was torn down to make way for this one, and many stones from that era exist. We didn't see many of them, unfortunately, as they weren't marked as such. Many of them are all but illegible, anyway.

(click to embiggen)
This cross dates to the 1300's or 1400's. It wasn't until last night, when I did a little research on the place, that I discovered I never looked at the back. The front has this intricate Celtic scrollwork, but the back also has Christ on the cross, saints, angels, a horseman, people and an inscription in Latin! You can see it *here*. This cross was erected as a memorial. There is another cross a little ways out from the churchyard, that is much older, but we didn't see it.


Clergyman.

I posted many more pictures at Mourning Souls. See them!

Comments

[roadskoller.livejournal.com]

It may be derelict, but it's still pretty awesome looking to me.
I sort of have a "religion" corner in my hallway and I've always wanted a 10" to 12" version of those old Celtic crosses for my wall.
I've got lots religions on my wall, but that would be truly me.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

The backs of upright stones/markers/monuments in graveyards can sometimes have very interesting stuff on them. That's very intricate Celtic knotting on the front of that cross! As always, I love places like this, derelict and all.