Publication Account
Date 1985
Event ID 1018834
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1018834
The former parish church of Killean is of interest both as a surviving fragment of twelfth century architecture and as the focus for a wide variety of funerary monuments. The church is now ruined, but three periods of construction can be seen: the nave (12th century), the chancel with the remains of an elaborately decorated east window (early 13th century), and the north aisle, which was taken over in the last century as the burial aisle of the MacDonalds of Largie, is originally of fifteenth century work.
An Early Christian cross from the site is now in Campbeltown Museum; there are several medieval tombstones set in the north aisle of the church, and several interesting later stones in the churchyard. Three of the medieval stones are illustrated here: the first has a fine sword to one side of the slab with two stems on the other; the inscription which is in Lombardic capitals reads 'John, Son of Ewan, had this stone made for himself and for his father'. The animal ornament below the inscription contains an unusual collection of beasts: a salmon is being chased by an otter, followed by a stag pursued by hounds. The stone belongs to the Kintyre School and dates to the 15th century. The second stone, of similar date, is a good example of balanced foliaceous patterning round a sheathed sword. The third slab is a beautifully carved example of a fully-armed knight: he has a pointed bascinet (helmet), protective mail covers his shoulder and neck and he wears a long sword with belt fastenings and a ribbed tunic. The stone belongs to the Iona School and is of 14th-15th century date.
Several 19th century headstones in Kintyre cemeteries provide vivid insights into contemporary agricultural life; here at Killean the stone commemorating Donald McKinnon, who died in 1810, illustrates ploughing with a two-horse team.
Information from ‘Exploring Scotland’s Heritage: Argyll and the Western Isles’, (1985).
