Kilchattan Bay
Encyclopedia
Kilchattan Bay is village
on the Isle of Bute
, Scotland
. It lies the island's southern end, along the coast road at the foot of a steep hill called the Suidhe Chattan which shields the village from the prevailing westerly wind. The village faces the mainland to the east across the Firth of Clyde
. A sandy bay known locally as the Wee Bay sweeps around to the north.
To the south along the coast is the start of the West Island Way
which leads along the rocky shore and past the lighthouse which marks the southern end of the island.
, who established a hermitage
at this location in AD 539. His nephew was Saint Blane
and a chapel was established in his honour in the 12th century. St. Blane's Chapel still exists as a ruin, two miles to the northwest.
The village developed as a row of fisherman's houses. Further developments included a quarry, stone pier
and a lime kiln which can still be seen behind St. Blane's Villa. A new pier was constructed when the village became a regular port-of-call for steamers
which carried trippers from the great city of Glasgow
and local traffic such as the output of tile factory at Kingarth
. St. Blane's Hotel was constructed between the two piers and still services the tourist trade today.
Queen Elizabeth II and her consort landed at the new pier from the Royal Yacht Britannia in the 1960s and drove through the village. Since that heyday, the steamer traffic has disappeared and the new pier has been closed. The old stone pier, being more durable, has been renovated and now serves as the main landing point.
A recent landslide has removed a section of the path from the village to the top of Suidhe Chattan.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
on the Isle of Bute
Isle of Bute
Bute is an island in the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Formerly part of the county of Buteshire, it now constitutes part of the council area of Argyll and Bute. Its resident population was 7,228 in April 2001.-Geography:...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It lies the island's southern end, along the coast road at the foot of a steep hill called the Suidhe Chattan which shields the village from the prevailing westerly wind. The village faces the mainland to the east across the Firth of Clyde
Firth of Clyde
The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran.At...
. A sandy bay known locally as the Wee Bay sweeps around to the north.
To the south along the coast is the start of the West Island Way
West Island Way
The West Island Way is a waymarked long distance footpath on the Isle of Bute. It is the first such route on a Scottish island.-Description:It is a fairly easy walk of approximately , passing through seashore, moorland, farmland and forest...
which leads along the rocky shore and past the lighthouse which marks the southern end of the island.
History
The village is named after the sixth century bishop, Saint CathanSaint Cathan
Saint Cathan, also known as Catan, Cattan, etc., was a 6th-century Irish monk revered as a saint in parts of western Scotland. He appears in the Aberdeen Breviary, Walter Bower's Scotichronicon, and the Acta Sanctorum, and a number of placenames in western Scotland are associated with him...
, who established a hermitage
Hermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
at this location in AD 539. His nephew was Saint Blane
Saint Blane
Saint Blane was a Bishop and Confessor in Scotland, born on the Isle of Bute, date unknown; died 590. His feast is kept on 10 August. He was a nephew of St. Cathan, and was educated in Ireland under Sts. Comgall and Kenneth; he became a monk, went to Scotland, and was eventually bishop among the...
and a chapel was established in his honour in the 12th century. St. Blane's Chapel still exists as a ruin, two miles to the northwest.
The village developed as a row of fisherman's houses. Further developments included a quarry, stone pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
and a lime kiln which can still be seen behind St. Blane's Villa. A new pier was constructed when the village became a regular port-of-call for steamers
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
which carried trippers from the great city of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and local traffic such as the output of tile factory at Kingarth
Kingarth
Kingarth is a historic village and parish on the Isle of Bute, off the coast of south-western Scotland. In the Early Middle Ages it was the site of a monastery and bishopric and the cult centre of Saints Cathan and Bláán ....
. St. Blane's Hotel was constructed between the two piers and still services the tourist trade today.
Queen Elizabeth II and her consort landed at the new pier from the Royal Yacht Britannia in the 1960s and drove through the village. Since that heyday, the steamer traffic has disappeared and the new pier has been closed. The old stone pier, being more durable, has been renovated and now serves as the main landing point.
A recent landslide has removed a section of the path from the village to the top of Suidhe Chattan.
Famous residents
- Graeme LambGraeme LambLieutenant-General Sir Graeme Cameron Maxwell Lamb, KBE, CMG, DSO is a retired British Army officer. He is a former Commander of the Field Army at Land Command, known for his contributions to counter-insurgency.-Career:...
- holidayed here regularly. - Ken W. MacDonaldKen W. MacDonaldKenneth W. MacDonald is a Scottish businessman, best known for his work within the Scottish tartan industry as owner of Houston Traditional Kiltmakers, Paisley. He currently serves as a Governor of the Scottish Tartans Authority....
- owns a home in the village