Visiting Kilmun ChurchI have mentioned on my blog before that although I'm not religious, I love visiting old churches on my travels around Scotland. I find that they are one of the best places to learn about the community and history of an area. Recently I made a trip to Kilmun Church and Argyll Mausoleum on the shores of the Holy Loch in the Cowal Peninsula. It turned out to be so much more than just an interesting place of local worship, I found it to be a fascinating attraction with a lot to offer anyone interested in Scottish history. There is a small visitor centre which details the story of the site from a Celtic Monastery to the final resting place of the Campbells, one of the most powerful clans in Scotland. Volunteer guides are also on hand to show you around if you wish and I found the guide on duty during my visit a wealth of information (I wish I had gotten her name!). The only thing I found disappointing was to hear how low the visitor figures are, as this really is a special place where there has been a lot of effort put in to enhance the visitor experience. I thoroughly enjoyed my morning there and spent way longer than I had anticipated, partly because I got chatting with the guide over some tea and biscuits after my visit which is optional but recommended! I really urge you to seek out Kilmun Church and Argyll Mausoleum for yourself and support this great attraction. There is so much history to discover in this little unassuming place and these are just some of the things I found out during my visit... The history of Kilmun Church & Argyll Mausoleum It started out as a Celtic Monastery A Celtic Monastery originally stood on the site of the present church which is believed to have been founded by St Mund or St Mundus, a Scottish Abbot who lived in the 10th century. It is from him that the surrounding village of Kilmun got its name with its origins meaning the cell or chapel of Munn.
Following the eastern shore of Loch FyneI love Scotland in autumn. The landscape sheds its summer green and wraps itself in a tartan shawl of russet, burnt orange and chestnut. The golden light accentuates every magical detail and the sky frequently bursts in a blaze of colour from hot pink to cinnabar as the sun rises and sets. It is by far my favourite season to go exploring and luckily I have some stunning locations like Loch Fyne on my doorstep. Last weekend brought perfect autumn weather, with blue skies and enough warmth to feel like summer had returned and to temporarily forget that winter is waiting in the wings. On days like this it would be criminal not to get outdoors and absorb some extra Vitamin D before the sun disappears on its annual vacation, so I decided it was a great excuse to embark on a spontaneous Scottish road-trip. Living on the Isle of Bute means that making last minute plans usually limits the possibilities of where I can go in a day and I'm often forced into finding new ways to explore already familiar places. This is the kind of travel challenge I thrive on and from my experience, when the only new option left is to seek out the road less travelled, you often reap the best rewards. Loch Fyne is a well frequented sea loch on the west coast of Scotland, with many a tourist stopping off for a refreshment at the historic town of Inveraray as they follow the road along its western shore, usually on their way from Glasgow to Oban. While this route can be a bustling one, especially in the summer, the eastern shore of Loch Fyne attracts far fewer visitors. Due to the geography of Bute, this is the side of the loch I find myself travelling along on a regular basis when I'm heading north. In many ways the peaceful A886 from Colintraive to Cairndow could already be considered the road less travelled, however although it is quiet and pretty enough, it is not particularly memorable in my opinion. If you are travelling between these locations this well maintained road is definitely the quickest and most direct way to get from A to B but I decided this was the perfect time to explore an alternative route, the even less travelled parallel 16 mile single track road (B8000) from Otter Ferry to Strachur. It is definitely not the normal tourist route, yet it skirts along the fringes of Loch Fyne revealing not only superior opportunities to enjoy the scenery but also a few hidden historical gems and a couple of well regarded destination restaurants which makes the longer detour justifiably worthwhile.
My journey to the eastern shore of Loch Fyne started with the steep drive over Glendaruel to Otter Ferry. This is definitely the more challenging route to reach the loch as the single track road twists and turns on itself while heading upwards at a severe incline. Not for the faint-hearted and I couldn't help but admire the cyclist embarking on what must be a hellish leg burning uphill struggle but then again whether you reach the top on four wheels or two, the view over Loch Fyne at the summit is worth it. ***UPDATE DECEMBER 2016*** After several failed attempts to redevelop the land, Polphail has now been demolished to make way for housing and a distillery. I'm glad I got to visit when I did before this piece of Scotland's history vanished forever.
Scotland has it's fair share of abandoned buildings in various states of neglect and spanning every era. It isn't short of crumbling townships either, many of which fell victim to the Highland Clearances. Yet even in a country full of deserted stone shells, Polphail Village is unique. A relatively modern development at a mere 40 years young, it was built to accommodate 500 workers for a nearby oil platform construction yard but the village was never occupied. Despite the oil boom of the 1970s, logistical problems with the location meant no orders were ever placed and the yard never went into production. Instead it has spent the last four decades at the mercy of nature, providing a home to a colony of bats and a blank canvas for street artists. Despite it's scenic position on the shores of Loch Fyne, various plans to redevelop the land have all fallen through and it is hard to disagree with those that feel the village is a blight on an otherwise picturesque landscape. The ever expanding modern Portavadie Marina with it's elegant finishes sits on the doorstep of Polphail providing a stark architectural contrast. Yet there is something eerily fascinating about the dilapidated grey buildings with their artistically applied graffiti make-up, which provide an alluring appeal to the creative and curious. A walk around the site provides a time capsule glimpse of a world that never was, with washing machines never used, beds never slept in and doors never opened. A waste of money, a sad place, hauntingly creepy, a health and safety hazard; Polphail is all of these things and yet it is also a uniquely intriguing place that continues to radiate a mysterious draw. |
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