St Mary & St Finnan

Introduction

St Mary & St Finnan is prominently sited on the hillside at the head of Loch Shiel in Glenfinnan, within the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles. The church is one of Edward Welby Pugin's last buildings in Scotland before his death in 1875.

History

The church was funded by the MacDonalds of Glenaladale, the last lairds of Glenfinnan. Edward Welby Pugin was the eldest son of the internationally renowned Gothic architect AWN Pugin. The stained glass window was added 1995-6, designed by Ormsby of Scarisbrick after sketches by a priest. Edward Welby Pugin designed the church in 1873-4.

The church was listed as Category B on 05/10/1971. Mr and Mrs Louis Gordon, descendants of the Glenaladales, funded the stained glass window.

Architecture and furnishings

The church has a symmetrical 5-bay nave and aisle with lower chancel and a single-storey, square-plan porch and tower base to the E. The interior has a timber gallery over the entrance with a plain balustrade accessed by a narrow spiral staircase. The church has an octagonal font with a low cluster column and quatrefoil decoration. The church retains original timber pews and an elaborately carved altar later moved to the Lady Chapel.

The belfry has a circa 1980 low timber belfry to the E with a clay pantiled pitched roof and a large cast-iron bell. The bell is inscribed "THOMAS SHERIDAN & CO EAGLE FOUNDRY DUBLIN 1875" and "BENEDICITE MONTES ET COLLES MARIE ET FLUMINA DOMINO". The capitals of the columns separating the nave and aisles depict roses, thistles, figs and acorns. The stops to the south entrance door depict shamrocks and thistles representing the transfer of faith from Ireland to Scotland.

The church is built of squared, coursed and roughly tooled granite with ashlar sandstone dressings. The church has a steeply pitched slate roof with ashlar coped skews and carved gablet skewputts. The interior has a pointed arched 'scissors' roof truss with small iron Jacobite roses at the springing point. The church has a large geometric-traceried rose window to the north.

The north elevation has a statue of St Michael and the serpent within an elaborately carved niche. The south entrance doors have elaborate cast-iron door furniture. The interior has original plaster relief Stations of the Cross between the aisle windows. The church has a simple panelled reredos circa 1975. The church has a wrought iron screen to the sacristy circa 1975.

Visiting

The church remains in active use as a place of worship. The church is situated at the head of Loch Shiel, where Charles Edward Stuart raised his standard before the gathered clans.