Bute, Mount Stuart
Burial Ground (18th Century), Church (18th Century), Mausoleum (20th Century) (1901)
Site Name Bute, Mount Stuart
Classification Burial Ground (18th Century), Church (18th Century), Mausoleum (20th Century) (1901)
Alternative Name(s) Scoulag Church
Canmore ID 40726
Site Number NS16SW 7
NGR NS 11012 60556
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/40726
- Council Argyll And Bute
- Parish Kingarth
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Argyll And Bute
- Former County Buteshire
NS16SW 7 11012 60563.
(NS 1102 6055) Chapel (NAT).
OS 6" map (1957)
This small T-shaped building, now a mausoleum, with an associated graveyard, was built in the 17th century as the family chapel of the Marquis of Bute (Name Book 1863). It is noted in OPS (1854) as "at one timee used as the parish church during the residence of the proprietor". Mr J Thomson (teacher, Kingarth) states that it is built on the site of the original parish church of Kingarth (see NS15NW 6), and Mr Grant (teacher, Rothesay) alleges that it occupies the site of "an ancient chapel". Neither of the Muirs (W Muir, factor; Mr Muir, farmer at Barone Park), who were interested in antiquarian research, had ever heard of any tradition relating to a chapel site here.
SDD List, undated
A neat church, sometime the parochial one but disused as as not being central for the people. At present it makes a very genteel and convenient chapel for the family.
J Blain 1818 in Ross 1880.
During the years 1724 to 1740 a new kirk for Kingarth was built by the parishioners at Mount Stuart but no title having been granted it was taken by the Third Marquess of Bute to form a mausoleum.
H Scott 1923.
A mausoleum as described in the previous information There is no record of a previous chuch or chapel having stood on this site (Stuart family archives, Mountstuart, Bute).
Visited by OS (BS) 26 November 1976.
This disused chapel and burial ground stands within the policies of Mount Stuart, close to the coast about 1km NNE of the mansion NS15NW 10. The building was not recorded in detail on the date of visit, but the burial ground to the S contains members of the Crichton-Stuart family in its E part and Mount Stuart house staff in the W. The site is called 'Scoulag Church' on the 1st edition of the Ordnance Survey 6-inch map (Buteshire 1869, sheet CCIV).
Visited by RCAHMS (AGCH) 19 May 2009.
Vaulted mortuary chamber and chapel. Single storey, 6-bay near-symmetrical, T-plan former Presbyterian church with projecting 2-storey wing centred at rear; red sandstone ashlar bellcotes surmounting pedimented gables to east and west. Harled south and north-west elevations; harl-pointed red rubble sandstone to east, north-east and west; red sandstone dressings. Raised red sandstone base course; slightly swept overhanging eaves. Prominent ashlar quoins; raised long and short surrounds to Y-traceried, round-arched bipartite windows to front (sandstone mullions); plain polished margins to remaining openings at sides and rear.
Red sandstone stair to former laird's loft in projecting wing at rear. (Historic Scotland)
Reference (1880)
A neat church, sometime the parochial one but disused as as not being central for the people. At present it makes a very genteel and convenient chapel for the family.
J Blain 1818.
Field Visit (19 May 2009)
This disused chapel and burial ground stands within the policies of Mount Stuart, close to the coast about 1km NNE of the mansion NS15NW 10. The building was not recorded in detail on the date of visit, but the burial ground to the S contains members of the Crichton-Stuart family in its E part and Mount Stuart house staff in the W. The site is called 'Scoulag Church' on the 1st edition of the Ordnance Survey 6-inch map (Buteshire 1869, sheet CCIV).
Visited by RCAHMS (AGCH) 19 May 2009.
Reference
This small T-shaped building, now a mausoleum, with an associated graveyard, was built in the 17th century as the family chapel of the Marquis of Bute (Name Book 1863). It is noted in OPS (1854) as "at one timee used as the parish church during the residence of the proprietor". Mr J Thomson (teacher, Kingarth) states that it is built on the site of the original parish church of Kingarth (see NS15NW 6), and Mr Grant (teacher, Rothesay) alleges that it occupies the site of "an ancient chapel". Neither of the Muirs (W Muir, factor; Mr Muir, farmer at Barone Park), who were interested in antiquarian research, had ever heard of any tradition relating to a chapel site here.
SDD List, undated
