Kilmallie facts for kids
Kilmallie (which is Cill Mhàillidh in Scottish Gaelic) is a special area in the west highlands of Scotland. It's like a district or community area. Kilmallie is found in a region called Lochaber.
The main part of Kilmallie is around the village of Caol. This village is very close to Fort William. The area also includes places like Banavie and Corpach. Kilmallie is so important that a local sports team, the Kilmallie Shinty Club, is named after it. Two churches, Kilmallie Free Church of Scotland and Kilmallie Parish Church of Scotland, also share its name.
What's in a Name? The Story of Kilmallie
The name Kilmallie has a long history. Some people believe it comes from the Gaelic words Cill-Maolan. This means "Church of the little tonsured one." A "tonsured one" was a monk who shaved part of their head. This name might connect Kilmallie to an old family called Clan MacMillan.
Another idea is that the name comes from a saint named Màillidh. This saint is remembered in the Gaelic name Cill Mhàillidh. Kilmallie was once known as the largest parish in all of Scotland! You can also find other places with similar names nearby. For example, there's Glen Mallie and Dalmally in Argyll.
Kilmallie's Changing Size
Kilmallie used to be much bigger than it is today. In the past, it included many more areas. These areas stretched from the town of Fort William to places like North Ballachulish and Onich. It also covered Ardgour, Blaich, Duisky, Clovulin, and Garvan.
Over time, some parts of Kilmallie became their own separate areas. For example, in 1860, a new parish called Duncansburgh was created. This new area included Fort William and Inverlochy.
Churches of Kilmallie
The main church for the Kilmallie parish is now located in Corpach. Some stories say that the very first church in this area was built a long, long time ago. It might have been built by a monk from the Columban order in the 6th century. That's over 1400 years ago!
Later, in 1843, there was a big event in Scottish church history called the Disruption. After this, a new church group, the Free Church of Scotland, needed a place to build. They were given some land for their church. However, it's said the land was very wet and boggy. This made the building unstable. That old church was taken down in 1976. A new, modern church was then built in the village of Caol.
