Church Overview

The medieval church at Kilmaurs was in the possession of Kelso Abbey as early as 1170, in 1413 the church here was endowed by Sir William Cunninghame as a collegiate church. The building was substantially rebuilt, in the 1730s, and then rebuilt again, this time in a Perpendicular Gothic style in a cruciform plan, in 1888 by the Kilmarnock architect Robert Samson Ingram.

The church is timber-lined, with an exposed timber ceiling. There are three rose windows and a number of 20th century stained glass windows, by artists including Roland Mitton, Guthrie and Wells, Norman McLeod MacDougall and Stanley Murray Scott. The clock tower houses the original bell of an earlier church on the site and is inscribed ‘Michael Burgerhuys Me Fecit 1618’. The famed Dutch Burgerhuys family foundry at Middelburg cast a small number bells for Scottish churches, including three in Ayrshire – Kilmaurs in 1618, Prestwick in 1619 and Ayr in 1625. 

The adjacent Glencairn Aisle was once part of the medieval church, but narrowly detached during the 1730s rebuild. It contains the magnificent sculptured mural monument of 1600 commissioned by James 7th Earl of Glencairn, in memory of the Earl and Countess of Glencairn, and worked by David Scougal, local mason and burgess. Now cared for by the Glencairn Aisle Conservation Committee who open the Aisle to visitors during the months. The historic graveyard also contains some interesting monuments.

Services

Sundays at 11.00am

Opening Arrangements

Open by arrangement

Disclaimer

The information about churches in Scotland’s Churches Scheme has been provided by the congregations or taken from the Historic Scotland list and published sources, in particular, the Buildings of Scotland volumes and the RIAS Illustrated Architectural Guides. To contact this specific church please complete the Contact this Church form above. The information is not authoritative; please contact Scotland’s Churches Trust to let us know of any errors or omissions.