Kilmacolm
Kilmacolm is a small mainly-commuter
village in
Inverclyde,
Scotland although traditionally (and still commonly) considered as lying within the
traditional county of
Renfrewshire. It has a village centre with a number of small shops, one public house and two main church buildings.
It lies on the northern slope of Strathgryffe about 7 miles south-east of
Greenock. It takes its name (which translates as 'Cell (or Church) of Columba) from the
dedication of its ancient
church of
St. Columba of
Iona. The
aisle of this
13th century church adjoins the newer parish church of
1833. The ruin of Duchal Castle lies on the village's on the outskirts.
Around the church, houses were built for the agricultural workers and
traders of the
district, but it was after
1836 that the village's character changed somewhat. Larger, grander houses started to be built.
With the
arrival of the Greenock and Ayrshire railway in
1869, which ran from
Greenock to the
terminus of the
Glasgow and South Western Railway at
Bridge of Weir, Kilmacolm became a desirable dormitory
settlement for
Glasgow. Stopping passenger services from
Glasgow St Enoch station ceased beyond Kilmacolm in
1959 and Kilmacolm became the western terminus of the
Paisley Canal Railway line in
1966. The line from Glasgow was closed completely in
1983, although it has been reopened from
Glasgow Central station to Paisley Canal Station. The site of the former station has now been converted to the only pub in Kilmacolm, The Pullman Tavern. The track has been converted into a
cycle path, and is now part of the
Clyde to
Forth cycle route[
1]
Kilmacolm remains a dormitory settlement, although it has expanded less in recent years than many similar small towns and villages. There are two schools in the village: Kilmacolm Primary School (state) and St Columba's (independent), which has both a primary and secondary school within it.
Notable in the area is the
moot-hill (ancient crowning place) near
River Gryffe and the
ruins of the
Norman church of
St. Fillan.
Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed a house in the village (Windyhill). Nearby is the settlement of Quarrier's Village, built by the Glasgow
philanthropist William Quarrier as a children's home in several cottage-style settings. The
cottages no longer serve this function and are all now residential.
*
Kilmacolm Community Website*
RCHAMS Entry on Duchal Castle
