Church Overview

A Gothic revival church that was constructed 1874-5 by Glasgow architect David Thomson replacing an earlier kirk of 1775. This is believed to be the third church on this site and it was built in memory of Captain Archibald Alexander Speirs of Elderslie by his mother Mrs Ellice of Glengarry.

The exterior holds a gabled front with a colonnette-spoked wheel window and a low square belfry tower with a slated pyramid roof. The four-bay interior has a rectangular chancel with tall cast iron columns, with bell capitals, drawing the eyes upwards to laminated timber pointed arches on the roof. Extensive refurbishment of the interior and exterior occurred in 1938, under the supervision of architect Arthur Forman Balfour Paul, which saw the rebuilding of the west gallery and the addition of carved angels on the beam ends.

There is some lovely stained glass throughout the church by notable artists such as William Wilson and Douglas Strachan and it is home to the A-listed stone effigies of Sir Patrick Houston and Lady Agnes Campbell, dating from the 15th century. The church also houses the Kilallan Bell, a medieval bell brought from Kilallan Kirk that was recast in 1618 and again in 1844. The pipe organ by Nigel Church & Co was installed in 1981.

Further extensive works were carried out in 2016 when a new extension was added to the rear of the building, adding meeting rooms, a vestry, kitchen and toilets. The extension was given the name Killellan Halls and is well used today by local community groups and the rooms are available for hire.

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.