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CELTIC CHAPELS AND HOLY PLACES 1. Kilchamaig or "Cill Chamaig", or "St Cammoc's Chapel" to be found SW of today's Whitehouse, on West Loch Tarbert in Kintyre. 2. Kilanaish or "Cill an Aonghais", ie, "St Angus' Chapel". NE of Ardpatrick. This was once a Parish graveyard, with a family mausoleum and one pre-12th century crossmarked stone, among 18th and 19th century graves, including one to a seaman who served with Nelson and Cochrane during the Napoleanic War. At the Roadside is a HolyWell, protected by an iron sheet. Some McNeills are buried here. 3. Kilberry or "Cill Bhairre", ie, St. Barry's(Berach's?) Chapel. Castle Kilberry lies NW of this Chapel. Admonan, in his Life of St Columba, mentions a monk named "Berach" who happens upon a huge whale, on his way to Tiree. Perhaps this was Kilberry's monk?? 4. Kilmaluag or "Cill mo Luaig", or "St Luag's Chapel." This St is also associated with Lismore. The traditional site was near Druimdrishaig, south of Ormsary, at the foot of Kilmaluaig hill. 5. COVE (St Columba's Cave) St Columba (died 597) , while travelling from Ireland to Iona, stopped here, where he founded a ministry here in this Cave at the head of a tiny sheltered bay. Two crosses are cut on the wall above a rubble-built altar in this cave, which as produced evidence of occupation over a long period. There are the ruins of a 12th century chapel here, in front of the cave itself. A stone font, once used here, can now be seen in the Achahoish Parish Church. There was a farm called "Cove" nearby. 6. Kilmory KNAP or "Cill Maolrubha", or St Maolrubha's Chapel: this can be found on the Point of Knap, between Ballimore and Castle Sween. Today, it functions as a museum, with an impressive collection of medieval burial carvings, as well as the 15th century "MacMillan's Cross" The latter is dedicated to Alexander MacMillan, keeper of Castle Sween. A burial ground lies around - and inside - this chapel. After Iona, Applecross was the second major centre of the Celtic Church in Scotland. In the year 672, according to Church tradition, St Maelrubha - who originally came from Bangor in Ulster - arrived in Applecross after a preaching tour, and led a team of monks around Argyll. The saint, whose name means "the red priest", founded his central place of worship at Applecross, north of the Isle of Skye. Applecross served as a base for St Maelrubha's missionary journeys to Skye and the Outer Hebrides, as well as east to Inverness and Moray and north as far as Durness. He was martyred by Danish Vikings in 722. St Maelrubha followed in the footsteps of St Columba, whose arrival at Iona in 563 is traditionally seen as the beginning of the Christianisation of Scotland. (See Also Kilmory ROSS and Kilmory OIB). The Applecross Historical Society has its own site, with more information on St Maelrubha. 7. Kilbride or "Cill Bhrighde",or "St Bride's Chapel", about 1 mile north of Castle Sween. There remains a 3 ft early Christian cross incised stone in the middle of a field, on the west side of the road. 8. Kilmichael at Inverlussa or " Cill Mhicheil", or "St Michael's Chapel". St Michael was the patron saint of Mariners. The location of the very early chapel is on the hillside 400 m to the NNE of the present North Knapdale Church of Scotland parish church, Kilmichael of Inverlussa 9. Kilmory OIB or "Cill Maolrubha", or "St Maolrubha's Chapel". "OIB" means a 'bay'. Kilmory Oib can be found on the shore of Loch Coille Bharr. This is a deserted village with a Holy Well. The well is marked by an upright slab incised with a plain cross on one side; and an elaborate design on the other (a cross surrounded by sun, moon, birds, etc.) See Also Kilmory KNAP, and Kilmory ROSS. 10. Kilmahumaig or "Cill mo Chumaig", ie, "St Cummoc's Chapel." This is the site of a medieval chapel, inside a 19th century enclosure. 11. Kilmory ROSS or "Cill Maolrubha", or St Maolrubha's Chapel. ROSS in Gaelic means 'a promontory'. This Kilmory ROSS's site is on the west shore of Linne Mhurich, between Tayvallich on the north, and Keills to the south. See Also Kilmory KNAP and Kilmory OIB. 12. Keills, Keillmore or "Cille", this was the site of a Chapel of St Cormaig. Its plural form indicates that it may have been the site of a religious teaching school for the smaller foundation on the island that lies off the southern shore of Danna: Eilean Mor MacCormaig. At Keills you can see a chapel that dates from the 13th century, and continued in use until the Reformation in the 17th century. Today, it functions as a museum, with an impressive collection of medieval burial carvings. TWO SOURCES FOR THIS INFORMATION Marion Campbell of Kilberry: Mid Argyll, and Archaeological Guide. Natural History and Antiquarian Society of Mid Argyll, 1984. .Somerled MacMillan, Bard and Historian of Clan MacMillan: Families of Knapdale, their history and their place names (being a compendium of information on the MacMillans, the MacSweens, the Campbells, the MacNeills, the MacAllisters, the MacTavishes, the MacIlvernocks (or Grahams), and others of Knapdale). Privately printed by Edward B McMillan, Ipswich, Mass, 1960.
A map of Knapdale's Celtic World |
 KILANAISH MAUSOLEUM ST COLUMBA CHAPEL KILMORY KNAP CHAPEL Kilmory Oib's Holy Well KEILLS CHAPEL |