Kilchoman ( or ; gd, Cill Chomain ) is a small settlement and large parish on the Scottish island of

Islay Islay ( ; gd, Ìle, sco, Ila) is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. Known as "The Queen of the Hebrides", it lies in Argyll just south west of Jura and around north of the Northern Irish coast. The island's capital ...

, within the unitary council of

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) ...

Settlement

The settlement of Kilchoman consists of a small number of houses gathered around the 19th century church, a short way above the beach and dunes of Machir Bay, "locally known as Kilchoman Beach or Machrie Beach." The site is ancient, dating back to the early Christianization of the Argyll seaboard. The current-day church was built in 1827 to serve a large community that has since disappeared. It ceased use as a place of worship in 1977. Prior to 1827, a medieval church stood on the location of the now ruined church and before that, an early chapel stood there. The burial ground enclosing the church contains many medieval and renaissance sculptures, and notable

high cross A high cross or standing cross ( ga, cros ard / ardchros, gd, crois àrd / àrd-chrois, cy, croes uchel / croes eglwysig) is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval tradit ...

, the Kilchoman Cross, dating from the 14th or 15th century. The sculptor of the cross belonged to the Iona School. Close to the settlement is another cemetery, the Kilchoman Military Cemetery, maintained by the

Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves and places of commemoration of Commonwealth of Nations m ...

. This contains the remains of victims of the sinking of HMS Otranto in 1918. A short distance east is Kilchoman Distillery.

Chough There are two species of passerine birds commonly called chough ( ) that constitute the genus ''Pyrrhocorax'' of the Corvidae (crow) family of birds. These are the red-billed chough (''Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax''), and the Alpine chough (or yello ...

s breed in the area of farmland around the settlement, and the south shores of Loch Gorm, representing around 10% of the population of this vulnerable bird in the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isl ...

Parish of Kilchoman

The parish covers the west part of Islay, covering the

Rhinns of Islay The Rinns of Islay (Scottish Gaelic: Na Roinn Ìleach; alternative English spelling Rhinns of Islay) is an area on the west of the island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. It is a peninsula that is attached to the main body of the i ...

, and the area around and north of Loch Gorm, and bounded to the east by Loch Gruinart and

Loch Indaal Loch Indaal (or Lochindaal) is a sea loch on Islay, the southernmost island of the Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland. Together with Loch Gruinart to the north, it was formed by the Loch Gruinart Fault, which branches off the Great Glen ...

totalling around 100 square miles (250 km²). New Statistical Account ''ibid.'' It thus includes the settlements of Ardnave, Bruichladdich, Claddach, Conisby, Kilchiaran, Kilnave,

Nerabus Nerabus (otherwise Nereabolls) is a hamlet in the west of the isle of Islay in Scotland. The vicinity is noted for its scenic qualities and diverse birdlife BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations tha ...

, Port Charlotte,

Portnahaven Portnahaven ( gd, Port na h-Abhainne, meaning river port) is a village on Islay in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. The village is within the parish of Kilchoman. In 1991 it had a population of 150. It is located at the southern tip of the Rinns ...

and

Port Wemyss A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...

Bibliography

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External links

Carved Stones of Kilchoman Parish
An 1885 account * Kilchoman a
Islay History Blog

References

{{Islay Villages in Islay

Settlement

Parish of Kilchoman

See also

Bibliography

External links

References