Historic Kintyre sites given emergency funding

The ancient walls at Killean are now covered by ivy overgrowth

Three historic sites on Kintyre could form part of a heritage trail on the peninsula after emergency funding was secured.

£40,000 worth of emergency works will be completed at a trio of medieval church sites - Kilkivan, Killean and Kilchenzie - affected by ageing and weathering.

The three ancient buildings were built when Kintyre was still part of the Kingdom of the Isles and are considered historically significant.

Now two of the island's charities and Argyll & Bute Council are hoping to secure further funding to make the sites safe, and then create to a trail to spotlight the area's ancient past.

Each church has intricately carved grave slabs dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries, showing connections between Celtic history and Vikings.

Kilkivan possesses eight medieval carvings depicting a range of characters, including a knight in full body armour and an abbot delivering a mass.

The stones have suffered damage from weathering and acid rain since at least the 1960s, and the funding has paid for a stone conservator to work on restoring them.

The ancient walls at Killean have been affected by ivy overgrowth, making it impossible to see carvings on the east gable wall windows, with the grant covering temporary bracing to be placed at the most vulnerable areas.

A three-year project to consolidate the ruins and the 14 medieval grave slabs there is already being worked on.

At Kilchenzie specialist limecrete bags are now being used to shore up parts of the crumbling walls.

A spokesperson for Argyll & Bute Council said: "All three churchyards are now in a good position to move forward together with a large grant application to various funding bodies for the money needed to consolidate and stabilize the ancient walls, and also to provide a safe space in which to display the wonderful collection of grave slabs."

Laggan Opportunity and Amenity Fund (LOAF) and Killean and Kilchenzie Churches Preservation Association (KKCPA) secured the grants from Historic Environment Scotland and the National Heritage Lottery Fund, with council support.