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Kilmun

Kilmun stands on the shore of Holy Loch which, according to tradition, was given its name when a ship carrying soil from the Holy Land, destined for the foundations of Glasgow Cathedral, was wrecked here. It was taken for granted that the exotic soil had sanctified the loch. The village itself was an important early Christian site with a chapel founded here around AD 620 by St Mun, a contemporary of
St Columba. The present church was built in 1841 but more impressive is the adjacent domed Mausoleum of 1794 which contains the earthly remains of all the Earls and Dukes of Argyll since 1442. Amongst them are the Earl Archibald who died at the Battle of Flodden, and the 8th earl who was beheaded in 1661. The building is currently undergoing much-needed restoration but is scheduled to open to the public for the first time in late 2009.

In the kirkyard is the grave of Dr Elizabeth Blackwell who, in 1849, was the first woman to graduate in medicine. Born in Bristol in 1821, she studied in Geneva (where she graduated), in the United States and at Paris and London. After returning to the United States, she opened (despite intense opposition) the first hospital staffed entirely by women. She died in 1910, and was buried in the churchyard as she regularly holidayed in the area.

On a hillside just west of the Kilmun village is the Kilmun Arboretum, extending to 180 acres. First planted in 1930, it has a wide range of trees - some rare - from all over the world, and is maintained by the Forestry Commission, which does research work here. The Information Centre can provide you with copious details of the many forest walks throughout the Argyll Forest Park.