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The lane through Kilfinan past the whitewashed hotel, a mossy stone wall alongside.
Argyll and Bute

Kilfinan Church and Stones

A Cowal village by Loch Fyne whose 17th-century church keeps a vault of carved stones, from early Christian slabs to medieval grave slabs.

Welcome

Kilfinan is a small village on the Cowal peninsula, above the east shore of Loch Fyne, and it would be easy to drive straight through it without realising what it holds.

Its name means the church of St Finan, and there has been a church here since at least the 13th century, when it appears in grants to the monks of Paisley; the church that stands now was built in the 17th century.

Round the back of it is the Lamont Aisle, the burial place of the Lamont family, which now shelters a collection of carved stones from the churchyard: early Christian stones, medieval grave slabs and the fragments of a free-standing cross. The vault was restored in 2016, with a gallery above where boards tell the stories of local people, among them the MacEwans of Otter, and the stones can be seen at any time. It is not a big place, but it rewards a stop.

A little further outThe Coffee Bar at Hayshed GalleryArgyll Coffee Roasters' own coffee bar at the Hayshed Gallery near Tighnabruaich, open at weekends.20 min by roadSee itPicnic tables outside the Argyll Coffee Roasters window at the Hayshed.
Before you go

Kilfinan is on the B8000 on the Cowal side of Loch Fyne.

The stones in the Lamont Aisle can be seen at any time.

Where
The B8000, Cowal.
Stones
In the Lamont Aisle, open at any time.
Where it is

Cowal, above Loch Fyne.

Close byIn Cowal.
  1. A cottage by the shore of the Kyles of Bute.Kames villageA quiet shore village by the Kyles of Bute, south of Tighnabruaich, once home to a gunpowder trade.7 miles14 min by road
  2. The OystercatcherThe OystercatcherA bar and seafood restaurant on the shore of Loch Fyne at Otter Ferry, with a beach and moorings below.8 miles15 min by road
  3. The ferry crossing Loch Fyne between Portavadie and Tarbert.Portavadie Ferry to TarbertThe short CalMac crossing of Loch Fyne between Cowal and Kintyre, turn up and go, about 25 minutes.9 miles17 min by road
  4. Kilbride Bay BeachKilbride Bay BeachA crescent of sand on Argyll's Secret Coast, reached through the dunes, with Arran filling the view.9 miles21 min by road
  5. White cottages with black roofs beside a loch, timber-clad building in foregroundInver, Strathlachlan12 miles22 min by road
Directions
The Hollies, Argyll and ButeArgyll and ButeThe HolliesSleeps 18 · 7.8 miles
Picnic tables outside the Argyll Coffee Roasters window at the Hayshed.CafeThe Coffee Bar at Hayshed Gallery10 miles
Ruined castle tower above a grassy slope grazed by black sheep, loch beyondAttractionsTarbert Castle12 miles
Fishing boats OB51 and ME moored in Tarbert harbour, waterfront buildings behindAttractionsTarbert13 miles
Stay nearby

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

The Hollies, Argyll and ButeThe Hollies
  • Sleeps 18
  • In Argyll and Bute
  • 5 miles from Kilfinan
Check datesA white harled house with crow-stepped gables catches the sunset glow above a loch, yellow flowering shrubs in the foreground.Glenstriven House
  • To stay
  • In Argyll and Bute
  • 9 miles from Kilfinan
Free 25–27 OctPlaces 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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