St Colmac's Church is a ruined 19th-century church in St Colmac, north-east of

Ettrick Bay Ettrick Bay is a wide, tidal, sandy coastal embayment with a chord of , on a 218° bearing, located on the west coast of the Isle of Bute in the Firth of Clyde, within council area of Argyll and Bute in Scotland. The bay was used for practice ...

, on the

Isle of Bute The Isle of Bute ( sco, Buit; gd, Eilean Bhòid or '), known as Bute (), is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, United Kingdom. It is divided into highland and lowland areas by the Highland Boundary Fault. Formerly a constituent isl ...

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. Built in 1835, it is now a Category B

listed structure In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

, as are its

kirkyard In Christian countries a churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church, which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language and in both Scottish English and Ulster-Scots, this can also ...

, boundary wall, gatepiers and gates. What is now known as '' Cnoc an Raer'', the former

manse A manse () is a clergy house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and other Christian traditions. Ultimately derived from the Latin ''mansus'', "dwelling", from '' ...

of the church, is located about to the west, built around the same time. Both properties are believed to have been built by John Paterson, a "very able builder and skilled mason" of

Largs Largs ( gd, An Leargaidh Ghallda) is a town on the Firth of Clyde in North Ayrshire, Scotland, about from Glasgow. The original name means "the slopes" (''An Leargaidh'') in Scottish Gaelic. A popular seaside resort with a pier, the town mark ...

. They stand on the northern side of the B875 road,''Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Graphic and Accurate Description of Every Place in Scotland''

Francis Hindes Groome Francis Hindes Groome (30 August 1851 – 24 January 1902), son of Robert Hindes Groome, Archdeacon of Suffolk, was a writer and foremost commentator of his time on the Romani people, their language, life, history, customs, beliefs, and lore. Li ...

(1901) the church in a triangular plot of land with a minor road bounding it on its northern side. Now gutted, the church's interior had an "unusual" arrangement, per photographs in the possession of the

National Monuments Record of Scotland The National Monuments Record of Scotland (NMRS) was the term used for the archive of the sites, monuments and buildings of Scotland's past maintained by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The Commission was ...

, with a full-length common communion table running east-to-west down the centre of the church, flanked by timber pews. West-facing box pews lined the side aisles. According to the handbook of the Scottish Vernacular Buildings Working Group, the communion table was made when required by converting pew ends.

Kirkyard

Celtic cross The Celtic cross is a form of Christian cross featuring a nimbus or ring that emerged in Ireland, France and Great Britain in the Early Middle Ages. A type of ringed cross, it became widespread through its use in the stone high crosses er ...

that is often associated with a nearby

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

stone circle A stone circle is a ring of standing stones. Most are found in Northwestern Europe – especially in Britain, Ireland, and Brittany – and typically date from the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, with most being built from 3000 BC. The be ...

is located in front of the church tower. A well-known tourist attraction, and often associated together, they were built several thousand years apart. A modern, adjacent cemetery (North Bute Parish Churchyard) is located to the east of the 19th-century kirkyard.

Ruinous detail

Abandoned Church - inside - geograph.org.uk - 704819.jpg, The interior western wall, 2008 Remains Of The Church Of St Colmac, Bute (geograph 3147218).jpg, The western elevation of the church Cemetery at old St. Colmac Church - geograph.org.uk - 61362.jpg, The modern cemetery (not part of the listed status), looking west back to the church

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Colmac's Church Churches completed in 1835 Churches in Argyll and Bute Listed churches in Scotland Listed buildings in Argyll and Bute 1835 establishments in Scotland