Glenorchy Parish Church
Encyclopedia
Glenorchy Parish Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland
in the village of Dalmally
, Argyll and Bute
, Scotland. It is the parish church
of the parish of Glenorchy
and Inishail
. The church is also known as Glenorchy Kirk, and was historically known as the Church of Dysart . There have been many alternate spellings, including "Dysert", "Disart", "Glenwrquha", "Glenvrquha", "Glenvrquhay", "Clachandysert", "Clachan Disert, "Claghan-Diseirt" and "Dysart and Glenurquhie".
The octagonal church building dates from the early 19th century. It is protected as a Category A listed building, and is also notable for its burial ground and grave slabs.The old churchyard which surrounds the parish church contains some ancient gravestones of the clan, and the gallows-hill of Glenorchy is famed in Highland tradition as a place of execution.
formed by the River Orchy
. it is situated within Dalmally in western Scotland, which is near the A85 road
and is served by Dalmally railway station
. The Gallow Hill of Glenorchy, an eminence
opposite the church, figures in local tradition as the place of summary execution
s during the Macgregors's era. Near the church is the well of Saint Conan
, known locally as a holy well.
Glenorchy parish
The parishes of Glenorchy and Inishail
were united in 1618, disjoined in 1660, and reunited by the Rescissory Act 1661
. The large parish of Glenorchy lies between Perthshire
on the east, and Lochawe and Loch Etive
on the west. Its principal valleys are Glenstrae, Glen Orchy
, and Glen Lochay
. Near the centre of the parish is Loch Tulla
, while Loch Lydon is to the north, and Loch Awe
is to the osuth.
; it has a Gothic
spire
. In 1860, the older church was still standing in the vicinity of the newer one. Though 15 miles (24.1 km) away, it was the closest church to Duncan Ban MacIntyre
, the Scottish Gaelic poet.
grave slabs are found in the church's burial ground. These are said to have been brought from Inishail
, having upon them the figures of armed warriors and emblematical devices. While the old churchyard which surrounds the parish church contains ancient gravestones, the nearby Glenorchy gallows-hill is famed in Scottish Highlands
tradition as a place of execution.
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
in the village of Dalmally
Dalmally
Dalmally is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is located near the A85 road and is served by Dalmally railway station....
, Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy area in Scotland. The administrative centre for the council area is located in Lochgilphead.Argyll and Bute covers the second largest administrative area of any Scottish council...
, Scotland. It is the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of the parish of Glenorchy
Glen Orchy
Glen Orchy is a long glen in Argyll and Bute in Scotland. It runs south-westerly from the Bridge of Orchy to Inverlochy following the River Orchy...
and Inishail
Inishail
Inishail is an island and former parish, in Loch Awe, Scotland.-Geography:The island lies at the north end of the loch in the council area of Argyll and Bute, between Cladich and Kilchurn...
. The church is also known as Glenorchy Kirk, and was historically known as the Church of Dysart . There have been many alternate spellings, including "Dysert", "Disart", "Glenwrquha", "Glenvrquha", "Glenvrquhay", "Clachandysert", "Clachan Disert, "Claghan-Diseirt" and "Dysart and Glenurquhie".
The octagonal church building dates from the early 19th century. It is protected as a Category A listed building, and is also notable for its burial ground and grave slabs.The old churchyard which surrounds the parish church contains some ancient gravestones of the clan, and the gallows-hill of Glenorchy is famed in Highland tradition as a place of execution.
Geography
The church was built upon an isletIslet
An islet is a very small island.- Types :As suggested by its origin as islette, an Old French diminutive of "isle", use of the term implies small size, but little attention is given to drawing an upper limit on its applicability....
formed by the River Orchy
River Orchy
The River Orchy is located in Dalmally, Argyll, Scotland. It rises in the Black Mount Forest, passes through Loch Tulla and Glen Orchy before reaching Loch Awe. There are falls and islands within the river...
. it is situated within Dalmally in western Scotland, which is near the A85 road
A85 road
The A85 is a major road in Scotland. It runs east from Oban along the south bank of Loch Etive, through Lochawe and Tyndrum, Crianlarich, Lochearnhead, St Fillans and Crieff before passing through Perth, where it crosses the River Tay via Perth Bridge. Its name between the latter two locations is...
and is served by Dalmally railway station
Dalmally railway station
Dalmally railway station is a railway station serving the village of Dalmally, near Loch Awe in Scotland. This station is on the Oban branch of the West Highland Line, originally part of the Callander and Oban Railway.- History :...
. The Gallow Hill of Glenorchy, an eminence
Topographic prominence
In topography, prominence, also known as autonomous height, relative height, shoulder drop , or prime factor , categorizes the height of the mountain's or hill's summit by the elevation between it and the lowest contour line encircling it and no higher summit...
opposite the church, figures in local tradition as the place of summary execution
Summary execution
A summary execution is a variety of execution in which a person is killed on the spot without trial or after a show trial. Summary executions have been practiced by the police, military, and paramilitary organizations and are associated with guerrilla warfare, counter-insurgency, terrorism, and...
s during the Macgregors's era. Near the church is the well of Saint Conan
Mochonna
Saint Mochonna , also known as Saint Conan, was the bishop of the Isle of Man and an Irish missionary.Mochonna is not to be confused with St. Conindrius, who is said to have been a disciple of St. Patrick, and to have lived to be a very advanced age Saint Mochonna (7th century – January, 684), also...
, known locally as a holy well.
Glenorchy parish
The parishes of Glenorchy and Inishail
Inishail
Inishail is an island and former parish, in Loch Awe, Scotland.-Geography:The island lies at the north end of the loch in the council area of Argyll and Bute, between Cladich and Kilchurn...
were united in 1618, disjoined in 1660, and reunited by the Rescissory Act 1661
Rescissory Act 1661
The Rescissory Act restoring Episcopacy, 1661 passed on the March 28, 1661 in the Scottish Parliament. At one stroke, it annulled the legislation of the last twenty years, covering the time of the Commonwealth and Civil wars. This Act virtually made return to Episcopacy, so that monarchy and...
. The large parish of Glenorchy lies between Perthshire
Perthshire
Perthshire, officially the County of Perth , is a registration county in central Scotland. It extends from Strathmore in the east, to the Pass of Drumochter in the north, Rannoch Moor and Ben Lui in the west, and Aberfoyle in the south...
on the east, and Lochawe and Loch Etive
Loch Etive
Loch Etive is a 30 km sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It reaches the sea at Connel, 5 km north of Oban. It measures 31.6 km in length and from 1.2 km to in width...
on the west. Its principal valleys are Glenstrae, Glen Orchy
Glen Orchy
Glen Orchy is a long glen in Argyll and Bute in Scotland. It runs south-westerly from the Bridge of Orchy to Inverlochy following the River Orchy...
, and Glen Lochay
Glen Lochay
Glen Lochay is in Perthshire, Scotland through which the River Lochay runs eastward towards Loch Tay, joining the River Dochart at Killin. Glen Lochay is about 20 miles long, running from a point north of Crianlarich to Loch Tay....
. Near the centre of the parish is Loch Tulla
Loch Tulla
Loch Tulla is a small loch at near Bridge of Orchy and Glen Coe in Scotland and in the central highlands. It contains salmon some of which are bred locally....
, while Loch Lydon is to the north, and Loch Awe
Loch Awe
Loch Awe is a large body of water in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It has also given its name to a village on its banks, variously known as Loch Awe, or Lochawe. There are islands within the loch such as Innis Chonnell and Inishail.- The loch :It is the third largest freshwater loch in Scotland with...
is to the osuth.
History
The church is recorded as early as 1390 with mention of the mountain chief, Iain Macgregor of Glenorchy (d. 1390), 2nd Chief of Clan Gregor, who was reported to have been buried on the north side of the High Altar in Dysart, at the old Church of Glenorchy. In 1498, 1510, and 1523, Gilbert Borach (or Borricht) was vicar of Disart. The church seems to have had an altar called the High Altar of Glensthray (Glenstrae). In the year 1586, the church was described as being 'on a certain island naturally formed and surrounded by the water of Vrquhay'. In 1614, Sir Duncan Campbell of Glenvrquhay paid for a nineteen year lease for the church. In 1616, he paid another sum for the use of the church's parsonage and vicarage. In 1629, N. Cameroune was vicar of Dysart. Eight years later, Archibald Campbell of Kilmun assigned to Archibald Lord Lorne a lease of Dysart in Glenurchay which had been granted him by Duncan Campbell, provost of Kilmun. According to Pennant in 1769, the church was described as being situated on a large isle formed by the river. The present church was constructed in 1811, having been designed by James Elliot of EdinburghEdinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
; it has a Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
. In 1860, the older church was still standing in the vicinity of the newer one. Though 15 miles (24.1 km) away, it was the closest church to Duncan Ban MacIntyre
Duncan Bàn MacIntyre
Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir is one of the most renowned of Scottish Gaelic poets and formed an integral part of one of the golden ages of Gaelic poetry in Scotland during the 18th century...
, the Scottish Gaelic poet.
Grounds
The churchyard was the burying place of the Macgregors. Late medievalLate Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
grave slabs are found in the church's burial ground. These are said to have been brought from Inishail
Inishail
Inishail is an island and former parish, in Loch Awe, Scotland.-Geography:The island lies at the north end of the loch in the council area of Argyll and Bute, between Cladich and Kilchurn...
, having upon them the figures of armed warriors and emblematical devices. While the old churchyard which surrounds the parish church contains ancient gravestones, the nearby Glenorchy gallows-hill is famed in Scottish Highlands
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
tradition as a place of execution.
External links
- Glenorchy Kirk, Dalmally, Glenorchy and Innishael linked with Strathfillan parish website
- Glenorchy Parish Church, Loch Awe community website