High Kirk, Dunoon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids High Kirk
Old Parish Church
High Kirk, 2011
55°56′50″N 4°55′32″W / 55.947188°N 4.925433°W / 55.947188; -4.925433
Location	Dunoon, Argyll and Bute
Country	Scotland, United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of Scotland
Website	Cowal Kirk Website
History
Status	Closed
Architecture
Functional status	Closed
Heritage designation	Category B listed building
Designated	20 July 1971
Architect(s)	James Gillespie Graham
Architectural type	Gothic Revival
Years built	1816

The High Kirk, also known as the Old Parish Church, is a historic church building in Dunoon, Scotland. It belongs to the Church of Scotland. This beautiful church is found on Kirk Street, just south of the town center. It was built in a style called Gothic Revival. This means it looks like old Gothic churches. The building is so important that it's listed as a Category B historic building. The church held its last service on October 1, 2023, and is now closed.

History of the High Kirk

Building the Church

The High Kirk was finished in 1816. It was designed by a famous architect named James Gillespie Graham from Edinburgh. The church was built close to where an even older church once stood. That older church was from the 1400s.

Changes Over Time

The church was made bigger in 1834 by David Hamilton from Glasgow. Five years later, the church's tower was made taller by eight feet. This tower has a clock on each of its four sides. These clocks were a gift from William Campbell. In 1909, another architect, Andrew Balfour, made the church longer and wider. The beautiful window in the front part of the church, called the chancel, was made in 1939 by Douglas Hamilton.

The Graveyard

The church has a very old graveyard. Some of the gravestones there are from the 1200s! Important people are buried here. These include bishops like Andrew Boyd, John Cameron (who passed away in 1623), and Hector McLean.

More to Explore

• List of listed buildings in Dunoon