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St Munn's Church at Kilmun in sunshine, its square tower and tall windows above the sloping churchyard and its stone wall, the ruined medieval tower beside it and the wooded hill behind.
Argyll and Bute

Historic Kilmun

The old church of Kilmun on the Holy Loch, open for guided tours from April to the start of November.

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Welcome

Kilmun is one of the loveliest old church sites in Argyll, on the shore of the Holy Loch north of Dunoon.

People have worshipped here for almost 1,500 years, and the village takes its name from the cell of Munnu, the Irish holy man said to have founded it. Beside the church of 1841 stand the ruined tower of the medieval collegiate church and the domed Argyll Mausoleum, where the Campbell chiefs were laid to rest until 1949. Look out for the stained glass by Stephen Adam, and a water-powered organ, one of the few in the UK to have been fully restored. Elizabeth Blackwell, the doctor who qualified in America in 1849 and championed women in medicine, rests in the churchyard.

A short drive awayCastle Hill, Dunoon14 min by roadSee itCastle Hill, Dunoon
Before you go

The church and visitor centre open in the season; the churchyard and the outdoor panels are there all year.

Where
Kilmun, on the north shore of the Holy Loch, about 15 minutes by car from Dunoon, PA23 8SE.
Open
From 2 April to 1 November, Thursday to Sunday, 11am to 4pm (last entry 3.30pm), and on Monday 6 April, 4 May, 31 August and 28 September 2026. At other times, outdoor panels tell the story, and visits can be arranged with a week's notice on 07887 856514.
Price
£5 for adults, with a guided tour and a leaflet. Under-16s go free.
Services
The church may close for up to two hours for a service, so ring ahead if travelling far.
Parking
Forestry and Land Scotland's free car park at the western end of Kilmun village.
By bus
Buses between Dunoon and Ardentinny stop at Kilmun pier.
Toilets
The nearest public toilets are in Dunoon.

Opening hours

Their website
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
11am–4pm
Friday
11am–4pm
Saturday
11am–4pm
Sunday
11am–4pm

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Where it is

Kilmun, on the north shore of the Holy Loch, about 15 minutes by car from Dunoon, PA23 8SE.

Close bythe Holy Loch and Cowal.
  1. The avenue of giant redwoods at the entrance to Benmore.Benmore Botanic GardenThe Royal Botanic Garden's mountainside garden in Cowal, entered by an avenue of redwoods planted in 1863.3 miles 4 min by road
  2. Mist on the hills above the still water of the Holy Loch.Holy LochA short sea loch in Cowal named for Saint Munn, home to American nuclear submarines from 1961 to 1992 and quiet again now.4 miles 8 min by road
  3. Pines on a point, mirrored in the still water of Loch Eck.Loch EckA long, quiet loch in the Argyll Forest Park, with red squirrels on its shores and the rare powan in its depths.7 miles 10 min by road
  4. The wooded shore of Loch Eck.Jubilee Point, Loch EckA picnic spot halfway along Loch Eck, in the Argyll Forest Park, with red squirrels on the shore and the powan in the depths.7 miles 10 min by road
  5. A walker on Ardentinny Beach under the trees.Ardentinny BeachThe longest beach on the Cowal peninsula, on Loch Long, backed by forest, with a shore path to Carrick Castle.8 miles 15 min by road
  6. The Allt Robuic tumbling through its green gorge.GlenbranterA forest hamlet by Loch Eck in Cowal, once Harry Lauder's estate, with a waterfall gorge walk and a wildlife hide.12 miles 18 min by road
  7. The blacksmith at the glowing forge.Strachur Smiddy Museum and CraftsA village blacksmith's shop at Strachur, worked by four generations of Montgomerys and kept as a museum with a working forge.14 miles 21 min by road
Directions
Walkers follow a path through moss-covered pine trees and fernsAttractionsPuck’s Glen1.3 miles
Loch Long at Blairmore under a blue sky of high cloud, the white rails of Blairmore Pier and its Saltire on the left and the far shore low across the water.CafeThe Blairmore1.8 miles
Dunoon Burgh Hall at dusk, a stepped-gable stone building with a round rose window, its tall windows lit and a green door between two street lamps.AttractionsDunoon Burgh Hall3.2 miles
Bishop's Glen Reservoir above Dunoon on a bright summer day, still blue water below a bank of conifers and birch, a grassy bank along the near shore.WalksBishop's Glen3.4 miles
Castle House in Dunoon, a turreted sandstone villa with battlements, above a rocky bank of rhododendrons in flower, steps climbing the lawn beside it and the Castle Hill flagpole on the left.AttractionsCastle House Museum3.5 miles
The front of Rock Cafe on West Bay in Dunoon, painted with a big ROCK sign, a caveman carrying a tray and a stone wall, bunting along the roof.CafeRock Cafe6.4 miles
The view from the Ardyne hillside over young birch and spruce to the Firth of Clyde, the Isle of Bute across the water and the peaks of Arran on the skyline under a big sky of white cloud.WalksArdyne Trail8.7 miles
The ruin of Toward Castle from the air: its ivy-covered tower and the roofless walls of the courtyard among spring woods, the Firth of Clyde blue beyond.AttractionsToward Castle13 miles
The Hollies, Argyll and ButeTighnabruaichThe HolliesSleeps 18 · 22 miles

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The Daily for 22 October, from Scotland with love. An aerial view of the Kylesku Bridge curving across a sea loch at sunset, Sutherland

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near Kilmun, and when each is next free.

Glenstriven House, a white Victorian house with grey stone corners, at the top of a gravel drive between lawns, with a wooded hill behind.Glenstriven House
  • Sleeps 15
  • In Argyll and Bute
  • 6 miles from Historic Kilmun
Free 25–27 OctA stone cottage with a slated roof sits nestled among dense woodland, two paddleboards resting on the lawn in front.Red Squirrel Cottage
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Lochgoilhead
  • 11 miles from Historic Kilmun
Check datesSeal Cabin, Argyll and ButeSeal Cabin
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Lochgoilhead
  • 11 miles from Historic Kilmun
Check datesThe Hollies, Argyll and ButeThe Hollies
  • Sleeps 18
  • In Tighnabruaich
  • 13 miles from Historic Kilmun
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in Argyll and ButeAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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