On the north shore of the Holy Loch, about one mile and a half from
Strone, stand the small ruins of the ancient Collegiate establishment
of Kilmun. According to Dr. Skene a Columban establishment was here
founded by St. Fintan Munnu of Teach in Munnu in Ireland. The district
of Cowal, in which this establishment was situated, was long in the
possession of the Lamont Clan, but was subsequently acquired by the
Campbells. The church had, in the thirteenth century, passed into lay
hands, “as, between 1230 and 1246, Duncan, son of Ferchan, and his
nephew Laidman, son of Malcolm, grant to the monks of Paisley lands
which they and their ancestors had at Kilmun, with the whole right of
patronage in the church of Kilmun.”[151]
In 1442 a collegiate establishment was founded by Duncan Campbell of
Lochow, for a provost and six prebendaries. The founder was buried
[Illustration: FIG. 1324.--Kilmun Church. Plans.]
here in 1453, and Kilmun has since then continued to be the burial-place
of the Argyll family. The great Marquis of Argyll was interred here in
1661, and the mausoleum of the family stands in the churchyard.
Of the College Church only a small portion remains, a modern church
having been erected on the site of the old structure.
The remaining portion (Fig. 1324) consists of a tower about 20 feet
square and about 40 feet in height. The basement floor is vaulted, and
contains a doorway which entered from the west end of the church, and
small loops in each of the south and west sides. That the church
extended eastward from the tower is apparent from the fragments of the
side walls and the mark of the roof, which still exist on the east side
of the tower (see Fig. 1325). A wheel stair is carried up in the
south-west angle of the tower, which gave access to three stories on the
upper floors. The first floor contained a small rectangular window to
the south. The floor above had a fireplace and a south window with
pointed and cusped arch-head
[Illustration: FIG. 1325.--Kilmun Church. View from South-East.]
(Fig. 1325). Over this was an attic, now ruined. From the above
fireplace and ornamental window, we may perhaps assume that the tower
was the abode of the provost, and from the strength with which it is
built, and general resemblance to a keep, the tower was doubtless
designed to form a place of strength in case of need.