Description
Church: William Burn, dated 1849, Renovated, 1900. Tall
Gothic church; heavily cement pointed rubble with tooled
ashlar dressings. 4-bay flanks 3-storey square tower
projecting from west gable and slightly lower gabled chancel
at east.
Pointed-headed entrances in base of tower at west, and also
each side. Large pointed-headed window in centre west at 1st
floor of tower, now infilled with Fife stone, leaving glazed
cross as centre light. Pointed-headed louvred windows each
side of upper stage of tower which has clock face at south,
angle buttresses rising full height, and corbelled and
crenellated wallhead.
North and south elevations lit by long, pointed-headed
windows divided by buttresses.
Gabled chancel at east with single small high windows north
and south, and large traceried 3-light window at east with
blind occulus above. Apex cross finial at east end of nave;
steeply pitched slate roofs.
Lean-to vestry in re-entrant angle of chancel and nave links
church with adjoining presbytery.
Interior: lofty interior with timber boarded ceiling,
ribbed and with braces supported by corbels. Stained glass
window (1900) in chancel east wall, and carved reredos
screened.
Modern glazed screen divides west end of church, forming
ambulatory, with semi-circular centre portion as baptistry;
gallery above. Prebytery; later 19th century 2-storey and
attic, irregular 3-bay gabled house. All dark rubble with
tooled ashlar dressings. 3-bay east entrance front, with
advanced SE (left) gable and simple lean-to porch masking
entrance in re-entrant angle. Symmetrical south elevation
with wide, slightly advanced and gabled centre bay with
apex stack and flanking gabletted dormers. Small round-headed
attic windows in some gables; 4-pane glazing; apex and end
stacks; slate roofs.
Statement of Special Interest
Ecclesiastical building in use as such. Moidart and Arisaig
formerly in Ardnamurchan Parish. The area traditionally
predominately RC. Old church close by far too small in 19th
century, and funds for new finally raised by Father Wm
Mackintosh the parish priest and opened by Bishop Murdoch
in 1849. Renovation of 1900 largely financed by Dowager
Marchioness of Bute, who is depicted in east gable
stained glass window. Presbytery does not appear on 1st
ed OS 1873.