Archaeology Notes
Event ID 867545
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Archaeology Notes
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/867545
NS25NW 13.00 20265 59441
(NS 2026 5943) St Columba's Ch (NR) (Remains of)
Skelmorlie Aisle (NR)
OS 6" map (1856)
NS25NW 13.01 NS 20247 59447 Brisbane Aisle
NMRS Microfilm and Microfiche Collection
Monumental Inscriptions Within Cunninghame District.
Copyright: Cunninghame District Council
Acc No 1990/57
Reel 2 (Largs), accompanied by index on microfiche.
(Undated) information in NMRS.
Largs parish church, which was dedicated to St Columba (Orig Paroch Scot 1851) and which belonged to Paisley Abbey, first appears on record in 1263. The present church (at NS 2045 5962) was built in 1812, when its predecessor, in the now disused burial ground, was taken down. A fragment of the S wall containing a monument to the Boyles of Kelburne was allowed to remain, though it had to be removed later for burials. 'The church was of unknown age and of great strength, the piece of wall mentioned above being about 4ft thick and very compact. It is therefore probable that the demolished church may have, in whole or in part, formed the original church of Largs.
The only part of the church now remaining is the Skelmorlie aisle, formerly the N transept. This was built by Sir Robert Montgomery of Skelmorlie in 1636 to contain a notable Renaissance monument; it is also noteworthy for its fine painted ceiling.
J Shedden-Dobie 1889; W Dobie and R D Wilson 1889; D MacGibbon and T Ross 1892; G Hay 1957
The Skelmorlie Aisle is generally as described. It is in good condition.
Visited by OS (DS) 20 September 1956
No change to previous field report.
Visited by OS (WDJ) 27 October 1964
OS 25" 1856 shows the pecked outline of the church as a building some 22.0m E-W by 6.0m with the Skelmorlie Aisle extending to the N.
Information from OS Recorder (IF) 19 July 1977
No change. There is no ground trace of the building indicated on OS 1st edition 25".
Visited by OS (JRL) 2 February 1983.
Scheduled as 'Skelmorlie Aisle and Largs Old Churchyard, west of Lade Street'.
Information from Historic Scotland: amended entry in the Schedule of Monuments, dated 3 December 2009.
