Skelmorlie Aisle facts for kids
The Skelmorlie Aisle is a special part of an old church in the town of Largs, Scotland. It's like a historical treasure that tells stories from a long time ago!
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A Look Back in Time
Most of the old church, called a "kirk" in Scotland, was taken down in 1802. This happened when a new church was built for the town. But one important part, the aisle, was kept. An aisle is like a separate section of a larger building. This particular aisle was kept because it held a special burial place.
The Montgomerie Family Tomb
The Skelmorlie Aisle holds a very important monument (a structure built to remember someone). It was built by a local landowner named Sir Robert Montgomerie. He was the seventh laird (a Scottish word for a landowner) of Skelmorlie Castle. Sir Robert built this aisle in 1636 to be a burial place for himself and his wife, Dame Margaret Douglas.
Inside, you can see a beautiful Renaissance-style tomb with a canopy over the entrance to the burial vault. The ceiling of the aisle is curved, like a barrel. It was painted in 1638 by a person named Mr. Stalker. The paintings show interesting things like heraldic emblems (family symbols) and signs of the Zodiac.
There's a story about Sir Robert's coffin. It's unusually long, and some of the lead from the bottom is missing. People say local fishermen took the lead. They believed that if they made fishing weights from it, they would catch lots of fish!
Another coffin inside the tomb is thought to belong to Sir Hugh Montgomerie of Eaglesham. He was a brave hero from the famous Battle of Otterburn.
The Amazing Painted Ceiling
The wooden ceiling is signed and dated 1638 by J. Stalker. The designs on the ceiling were inspired by the work of a French goldsmith named Etienne Delaune.
The paintings are very lively! They show scenes that represent the different seasons of the year. You can also see the combined coat of arms (family symbols) of the Montgomerie and Douglas families. Interestingly, some of the symbols on the Montgomerie arms are placed incorrectly, like a mirror image. This same "mirror image" mistake can be seen on the coat of arms painted above the entrance door.
How to Visit Skelmorlie Aisle
Today, the Skelmorlie Aisle is looked after by Historic Environment Scotland. It's free to visit, which is great! However, you need to get the key from the Largs Museum, which is right next door. Both the churchyard (where the aisle is) and the museum are open from late May to early September. You can visit them from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
