St Munn's Church, Argyll Mausoleum

St Munn's Church, Argyll Mausoleum

Kilmun Parish Church and its surrounding complex form an exceptional ecclesiastical site of national importance, documenting multiple periods of development from the 13th century to the 20th century. The complex includes a fine 19th-century church, the burial place of the Campbells of Argyll from the 15th to 20th centuries, a collection of post-medieval headstones, and associated structures of considerable architectural merit.

History and Development

A church has been recorded on this site since the 13th century. The tower that now stands dates to a collegiate church founded in 1442 by Sir Duncan Campbell of Lochawe. In 1688, the choir of the collegiate church was rebuilt to serve as a parish church. In 1841, the bulk of the collegiate church was demolished to make way for a new church designed by Thomas Burns, built to accommodate the increasing number of summer visitors to the Holy Loch.

The Parish Church

Thomas Burns's church of 1841 is laid out on a T-plan with the nave extending north. A small square tower with corner finials and pierced stone parapet rises over an advanced, gabled central bay at the head of the T. The church is lit by single lancets on the south wall and wider traceried lancets on the east and west gables.

In 1898-9, the renowned church architect Peter McGregor Chalmers rearranged the interior, forming an open choir in place of a closed vestry on the south wall and introducing new arcades supporting the east and west galleries. The interior is substantially as Chalmers designed it, with intricately carved chancel furniture and panelling. A flat ceiling is supported by decorative Tudor-arched trusses on stone corbels. Walls are rendered with exposed sandstone dressings and panelled to dado height.

The church contains notable stained glass windows by Stephen Adam, including scenes from the life of Christ and a portrait of George Miller of Invereck as St Matthew. Alfred Webster, Adam's successor, designed later windows including a war memorial window in the north gable. An unusual feature is the hydraulically powered organ, made in 1909 by Normand and Beard. This is one of only two water-powered examples known to remain in use in Scotland as of 2012, the other being at St Mary's Episcopal Church, Dalkeith.

Halls

The halls, situated in the north-west angle, were built in 1909-10 also by Peter McGregor Chalmers. They are piend-roofed with mullioned and leaded windows.

Argyll Mausoleum

The Argyll Mausoleum stands at the north-east corner of the modern church. Designed by James Lowrie and built in 1795-6, it replaced a vault previously used by the Argyll family inside the collegiate church. The mausoleum remained in place when the collegiate church was demolished and the present church built. Originally topped with a slated pyramid roof, this was replaced by a cast iron dome in 1891-3.

The mausoleum is square in plan with a pointed-arched entrance on the north elevation, flanked by two blind-traceried lancets and applied pilasters. The domed roof features rooflights and a smaller dome at the apex. The interior consists of two platforms on the side walls containing coffins and, on the south wall, a wide cusped arch over a niche containing 15th-century effigies of Duncan Campbell, founder of the collegiate church, and his wife. The Argyll Campbells were buried here from the 15th century until the 10th Duke in 1949.

Douglas of Glenfinart Mausoleum

Built in 1888 to the north-west of the church, this octagonal structure is constructed of red sandstone with rock-cut ashlar walls. It features a studded timber door with a carved armorial panel above and a stone-slabbed roof. The mausoleum contains the remains of General Sir John Douglas, Commander during the Indian Mutiny.

Graveyard

The graveyard contains several interesting memorials including later medieval tapered slabs and high-quality 17th and 18th-century headstones and table-tombs carved with trade tools. A small 'Watchhouse' stands in the south-east corner. The graveyard was extended twice: first to the north uphill, and later to the west, taking up some grounds of Old Kilmun House. A second small building on two levels of unclear purpose, dating to the late 19th century, survives to the north-east of the church. The graveyard walls likely date to 1818-19 when the churchyard was laid out. Square-plan gatepiers with Gothic capstones stand immediately to the west of the church. A cast iron drinking fountain with drinking cup also survives to the west of the church.

In August 2021, the church was purchased by a charitable trust and repurposed as a heritage centre and music venue known as Historic Kilmun.