St Mahew's

The origins of this chapel are lost in the mists of time but gravestones there have been dated to the 9th or 10th century. The earliest surviving documents which speak of a chapel at Kilmahew come from the reign of King David II (1329-70). Following the Reformation in 1560 the chapel became derelict, but from 1640 until 1846 part of it was used as the village school. In 1948 it was acquired, as part of the Kilmahew Estate, by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Glasgow. Five years later work on restoration started and it began to serve again as a chapel in 1955. Today it is believed to be perhaps the oldest place of worship in the west of Scotland still being used for its original purpose. Photo by Professor John Hume.