St Conan, Lochawe
St Conan, Lochawe
St Conan’s Kirk stands above Loch Awe at Lochawe, Argyll and Bute, a Category A listed chapel of ease built for the Campbells of Innis Chonan and now run by an independent trust.
- Location
- Lochawe, Strathclyde
- Country
- Scotland
- County
- Strathclyde
- City / town
- Lochawe
- Address
- Lochawe, Strathclyde, PA33 1AQ
- Postcode
- PA33 1AQ
- Built
- 1881–86; enlarged 1907–30
- Architect
- Walter Douglas Campbell of Innis Chonain
- Denomination
- Independent
- Dedication
- Conan
- Style
- Eclectic Gothic with Romanesque and Arts and Crafts elements
- Materials
- Ashlar and rubble with slated roofs
- Grid reference
- NN 115 267
- Opening hours
- Winter 9am to 5pm, Summer 8am to 6pm. It may be closed during events, please check website for details.
- Access
- Open winter 9am–5pm and summer 8am–6pm; may close during events — check the kirk website.
- Website
- https://stconanskirk.org.uk/
Overview
Historic Environment Scotland records a nave, chancel and north tower of 1881–86, with cloisters, chapels, south tower, aisles, apse and ambulatory added in 1907–30, all by Walter Campbell of Innis Chonain. The fabric is ashlar and rubble with slated roofs and traceried windows; the south side is especially elaborate. The interior has open timber roofs, arcades, chancel stalls, and effigies of King Robert I, Walter Campbell and the 4th Lord Blythswood. The east window came from St Mary’s Church, Leith. The kirk was built on the site of St Conan’s Chapel at the expense of Mrs Campbell of Blythswood, the architect’s mother, and opened in 1883.
The official history states that the original kirk of 1881–86 was a comparatively small Presbyterian-looking building whose footprint is now the nave and part of the choir. A trust created in 1883 still owns the building. It was never adopted as a Church of Scotland parish church because of its small congregation and high maintenance costs, though local Church of Scotland ministers provided Sunday services. It is Category A listed (LB4700); Scottish listings are not entered as listEntryUrl here.