Hidden Scotland
Sign in
Kirkmadrine's small stone church on its rise among the fields, the red sandstone porch at its west end where the early Christian stones stand behind glass, old gravestones in the grass beside it.
Dumfries and Galloway

Kirkmadrine Stones

Some of the earliest Christian memorial stones in Scotland, behind glass in the porch of a small church near Sandhead.

Welcome

Kirkmadrine, a little way inland on the Rhins of Galloway, takes you back about fifteen hundred years.

Its small church only dates from the late 1800s, but the carved stones kept at its west end are far older. The oldest is a pillar from the 400s or 500s, with a Latin inscription to three bishops, Ides, Viventius and Mavorius. Another remembers Florentius, and a third, from around 600, reads Initium et Finis, the beginning and the end. When the present church was built, two of the pillars were found holding up the churchyard gate, and another serving as a step over its wall. Look too for the tall memorial cross on its mound beside the church.

A little further outThe Port Pantry, PortpatrickA café on the harbour front at 24 Main Street, Portpatrick, open every day from 9.30am for breakfast, brunch, lunch, coffee and dessert.20 min by roadSee itThe Port Pantry, Portpatrick
Before you go

Free to see at any time of year, in the care of Historic Environment Scotland.

Getting there
Take the minor single-track road west from the A716, a little south of Sandhead.
Parking
A pull-off beside the road, then about 300 yards on foot along a woodland track to the churchyard gate.
The glass
Sunlight on the glass of the porch can hide the detail of the carving.
Toilets
None at the church. The nearest public toilets are in Sandhead.

Been here? Tell others what you know, and the best go on this page with your name.

Add your review
Where it is

South-west of Sandhead on the Rhins of Galloway, up a single-track road off the A716.

Close bySandhead, Port Logan and the Rhins of Galloway.
  1. Small wooden hut atop layered coastal cliffs above the seaRhins of GallowayThe peninsula at Scotland's south-west tip, circled by an 83-mile waymarked coast path from Stranraer to the Mull of Galloway and back.5 miles 11 min by road
  2. Palm trees and colourful flowerbeds line a gravel path in a coastal gardenLogan Botanic GardenTree ferns and cabbage palms on the Rhins, kept alive by the Gulf Stream.6 miles 14 min by road
  3. Glenwhan Botanic Garden from the top of the slope: flowering shrubs and rhododendrons round the lochans, with Luce Bay and the Mull of Galloway on the horizon.Glenwhan Botanic GardenA botanic garden and arboretum on the hillside above Dunragit, east of Stranraer.9 miles 23 min by road
  4. The canal at Castle Kennedy Gardens in summer, lined with cordylines, with flowering trees in red on the bank and a path alongside.Castle Kennedy GardensEighteenth-century gardens round the ruin of Castle Kennedy, on the neck of land between two lochs east of Stranraer.12 miles 27 min by road
  5. PortpatrickPortpatrickA painted harbour on the Rhins, and mile nought of the Southern Upland Way.12 miles 20 min by road
  6. Dunskey CastleDunskey CastleA roofless tower on the cliff edge, half an hour along the path from Portpatrick.13 miles 24 min by road
  7. Small wooden hut on grassy clifftop above sea cliffs and wavesMull of GallowayThe last of Scotland: cliffs, seabirds and a lighthouse on the point.15 miles 32 min by road
Directions
The restaurant at The Waterfront in Portpatrick, its tables laid under a pine-boarded ceiling with roof lights, and windows on the far wall.RestaurantsThe Waterfront, Portpatrick6.2 miles
Port Logan's stone pier running out to its little round lighthouse tower, yachts moored in the calm bay and the village's houses on the far shore.AttractionsPort Logan6.8 miles
The boating lake at Agnew Park under a blue sky, a little island of palm trees on the right and green hills across the water beyond.AttractionsAgnew Park8.1 miles
A stone tower keep with battlements rises behind a public drinking fountain in a paved square, people sitting on benches nearby.AttractionsCastle of St John9.6 miles
Stranraer Museum's white clock tower building on George StreetAttractionsStranraer Museum9.6 miles
Fig & Olive shopfront with turquoise trim on a quiet street cornerCafeFig and Olive9.7 miles
Blue-trimmed shopfront reading "The Port Pantry, Coffee Shop, Eatery, Deli" with lifebuoys in the windowsCafeThe Port Pantry, Portpatrick12 miles
The Harbour House Hotel with white walls, dormer windows and outdoor tables shaded by parasolsRestaurantsHarbour House Hotel12 miles
Dreamcatchers hang above shelves crammed with globes, lamps, Land Rover and Porsche signsShoppingSmugglers Cove12 miles

Recommend to a friend

The Daily for 23 October, from Scotland with love. Aerial view of a concrete road bridge with angled supports spanning a sea loch, twin cloud-wrapped mountain peaks rising behind autumn-coloured hills.

The Daily

Arrives at 5am every day.

A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.

Stay nearby

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

The front of Wren's Nest, a stone cottage with a pale blue door, a table and chairs and a timber planter on the lawn before it.Wren's Nest
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Portpatrick
  • 7 miles from Kirkmadrine
Free 24–27 OctSymphonica Lodge, a long single-storey stone building with a bench by the door, on a gravel drive.Symphonica Lodge
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Portpatrick
  • 7 miles from Kirkmadrine
Free 28–31 OctDunskey House, the castle, in autumn, red and gold ivy over its walls, chimneys and gables.The Royal Apartment
  • Sleeps 10
  • In Portpatrick
  • 7 miles from Kirkmadrine
Free 29 Nov – 2 DecFrom above, Dunskey House, the castle, its grey gables and chimneys, fields and woods running to the sea behind.The Velvet Upperground
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Portpatrick
  • 7 miles from Kirkmadrine
Free 24–27 OctPlaces to stayEvery stay in Dumfries and GallowayAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
Hidden Scotland, the magazine

Scotland, in print.

We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.

Get Issue 13Read it here
Find out more

For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .