Kilmory Knap Chapel and Kilmory Beach
Not too far from Castle Sween is the rather idyllic hamlet of Kilmory in Knapdale. Kilmory Knap Chapel sits, simple and unassuming, amidst just a few other stone-built structures.
Built in the 1200s it appears to have been largely unaltered since then. Thinner slices of sandstone between larger blocks creates very striking stonework, and the arches around the doors and windows are beautiful.
To enter the chapel, you must turn the huge iron key in the lock and push open a heavy wooden door. Inside is a collection of sculptured stones dating from before the early Christian period (pre 1000 AD) which suggests there was once an older chapel on this site.
There are some beautiful details on the stones. Mirrors, combs, shears, a mason’s or carpenter’s square, axes, a hammer, ships, animals and leaves. Things that were important to the people they represent. The smaller stones perhaps stood upright and the longer stones would have been laid flat on the ground.
There are several stones that are believed to belong to people from hereditary families of craftsmen. One inscription reads ‘ Iohannes Carpentarius’. This also imples that craftsmen could reach a high status in society and their skills received high levels of prestige. It was no small cost to have a graveslab like this made.
After looking around the chapel, we began to follow a track that was signposted ‘beach’. After just a few minutes of walking, the weather couldn’t have been better, and neither could the views. White sand, lush ferns and The Paps Of Jura in the distance. The walk down to the beach took just ten minutes over fairly rough ground.
In many parts of Scotland, sheep and cows are kept on beachfront fields. On this trip, it became such a common view that my brain changed the lyrics of Taylor Swift’s song ‘Snow on The Beach’ to ‘Cows on the beach, weird but f**king beautiful’. At Kilmory that day, the only sign of cows on the beach were their poops on the beautiful white sand. But it didn’t even come close to spoiling it.
Kilmory beach is exceptional, and we spent an hour or so exploring the views and the rocks before heading back towards the car. It would be a perfect place to spend a day with kids, just remember to buy snacks/drinks in Lochgilphead as shops are a rare commodity this far into Knapdale.
