Kilfinan is a hamlet on the

Cowal Cowal ( gd, Còmhghall) is a peninsula in Argyll and Bute, in the west of Scotland, that extends into the Firth of Clyde. The northern part of the peninsula is covered by the Argyll Forest Park managed by Forestry and Land Scotland. The Arrochar ...

peninsula in

Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020) ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Located on the eastern side of

Loch Fyne Loch Fyne ( gd, Loch Fìne, ; meaning "Loch of the Vine/Wine"), is a sea loch off the Firth of Clyde and forms part of the coast of the Cowal peninsula. Located on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It extends inland from the Sound o ...

, the hamlet is northwest of the village of

Tighnabruaich Tighnabruaich; (; gd, Taigh na Bruaich) is a village on the Cowal peninsula, on the western arm of the Kyles of Bute in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. In 2011 the population was 660. It is west of Glasgow and north of the Isle of Arran. Tighnabru ...

. Kilfinan is the burial place of the clan chiefs of the

Lamont Lamont or LaMont may refer to: People *Lamont (name), people with the surname or given name ''Lamont'' or ''LaMont'' * Clan Lamont, a Scottish clan Places Canada *Lamont, Alberta, a town in Canada * Lamont County, a municipal district in Albert ...

s, in the 13th-century Kilfinan Parish Church. The hamlet is also home to th
Kilfinan Hotel
for over 300 years, which started off as a coaching inn.

Church of Saint Finan

The

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

of Saint Finan dates from the 13th century: the church was first recorded between 1231 and 1241 in a series of grants and confirmations by Duncan, second son of Ferchar, and his nephew young Laumon. Laumon was an ancestor of the Lamont family, who gave the church and all its rights, to the

Cluniac Monks Cluny Abbey (; , formerly also ''Cluni'' or ''Clugny''; ) is a former Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was dedicated to Saint Peter. The abbey was constructed in the Romanesque architectural style, with three churches ...

Paisley Abbey Paisley Abbey is a parish church of the Church of Scotland on the east bank of the White Cart Water in the centre of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, about west of Glasgow, in Scotland. Its origins date from the 12th century, based on a for ...

, Paisley.

Interior

In 1633 the Lamont North Aisle was added. It was the work of Sir Coll Lamont, whose initials "S/CL" are carved in the east and west cavetto skewputts of the crowstepped north gable. The date 1633 also appears. Within a cusped frame on the

lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...

of the west doorway, the same date and initials are carved in relief, together with "D/BS" for Lamont's wife Dame Barbara Semple. There is late medieval work incorporated into the vault itself. In 2015 and 2016, while restoration work was undertaken, the Ancient Stones were removed from the Lamont Vault. The earth floor was lowered and more medieval bones were revealed; at this time two 17th-century

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

coffins were also discovered. It has been suggested that the coffins contain the remains of Sir Coll Lamont 1634 and his wife Dame Barbara Semple, whose initials appear on a lintel above the vault entrance. The Upper Lamont Aisle is now a modern Gallery. The Lamont Vault and Gallery today contain one of the best collections of ancient burial stones in the West of Scotland. The stone known as The Inveryne Stone is displayed in the gallery.

Exterior

In 1759 the bird-cage belfry was added at the west end of the church. The bell is dated 1832.

Swallows

Swallows nest at the church. For many years the rose window was broken and the swallows flew in to build their nests. Now the window is repaired visitors are reminded to leave the door open to give the swallows access.

Churchyard

The monument inscriptions of the graveyard have been fully catalogued. Most of the monuments in the churchyard are from the 18th and 19th centuries. In the 20th century burials in the parish took place at the (now disused) Kilbride church, on the west side of the Ardlamont peninsula, and more recently at the cemetery in Millhouse. The graveyard also includes the McFarlane Vault, to the west of the church, and the Rankin Vault, on the south side of the burn.

Gallery

File:Kilfinan Bay, Loch Fyne - geograph.org.uk - 1513830.jpg, Kilfinan Bay, Loch Fyne File:Kilfinan Parish Church, Argyll - geograph.org.uk - 15144.jpg, Kilfinan Parish Church

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kilfinan Villages in Cowal Highlands and Islands of Scotland