.
Toponymy Kilmacolm is generally believed to take its name from the
Scots Gaelic language, meaning "cell or church of Columba" as derived from the
dedication of an ancient
church to
St. Columba of
Iona. This is generally associated with the religious cell which was established in the sixth or seventh century on the site of the current parish church. The current parish church, known as the Old Kirk, was largely constructed in the 19th century and incorporates parts of an older, 13th-century
Norman church, which has become the Murray Chapel. In his book
Kilmacolm: A Parish History, 1100–1898, the then Minister of the Parish, James Murray, claims history would suggest the meeting took place at Glasgow, noting only that "
as, on that occasion, [Columba] passed up the southern bank of the Clyde, he necessarily traversed a portion of Kilmacolm Parish." For a period in the 18th century, Kilmacolm was generally spelled 'Kilmalcolm', based on a presumption that the settlement's name originated with one of the
kings of Scotland named Malcolm. A vote of the parochial board in 1905 altered the accepted spelling to 'Kilmacolm', based largely on a case made by the previously mentioned Rev. James Murray that this association was mistaken.
Early settlement The early human settlement of Kilmacolm can be traced as far back as the
Stone Age, with a number of archaeological discoveries made within the village dating from that period. The most significant of these findings is the agricultural
homestead located near to the Knapps Loch, which was excavated in the early 1960s. Later examples of human habitation in the parish are numerous. A number of early settlements around the village are listed as ancient monuments by the government agency
Historic Environment Scotland. These include a number of Bronze or Iron Age hut circles and
roundhouses that are believed to have formed lightly defended homesteads. While not listed, the homestead at Knapps is also mentioned by the agency as being believed to have a similar age. As the
Romans advanced north through
Ancient Britain, they entered Kilmacolm – near to the
Antonine Wall and contributing to the defence of the Empire's northern frontier. A Roman road leading to a fort at
Old Kilpatrick was constructed through the north of the parish. Other forts were built at nearby Whitemoss, with a more significant one on Barochan Hill outside of neighbouring
Houston, Renfrewshire. The Romans' continued presence as far north as Kilmacolm was, however, short lived. A
motte also exists beside the Gryffe Water within the
Duchal Estate, sometimes known as Denniston Motte. It is believed to have been part of an
Anglo-Norman timber castle dating from the 12th or 13th century. The former building on the site is stated by Historic Environment Scotland to have "almost certainly acted as a manorial estate centre". There are potential associations with two local landowners: the
Lyle family that later held Duchal Castle or the Dennistoun family who later occupied Finlaystone House. Its site listing also notes that "local tradition holds it to be the site of a Roman watertower".
Mediaeval and early modern Kilmacolm , seat of the
Earls of Glencairn , formerly in the parish and seat of the Maxwells. In the
Middle Ages and
Early Modern period, Kilmacolm was part of a largely
feudal society within the
Kingdom of Scotland and later in the
Kingdom of Great Britain. The parish was largely divided between two estates, which throughout most of the period were based at
Duchal Castle and
Finlaystone House and began with its division between two families: the Dennistouns and the Lyles, who were later replaced by other families through sale or marriage. Many of the external problems of the two families related to
religious disputes, the favour of the Crown and feuds with other families. From the early 13th century, Kilmacolm is mentioned in records of the church which seems to have been dedicated either to
Malcolm III or, more likely,
Saint Columba. These records include an early
papal bull of
Pope Honorius III in 1225 and generally demonstrate the subservience of the church at Kilmacolm and the surrounding villages of
Strathgryfe to
Paisley Abbey.
Duchal Castle, on the outskirts of Kilmacolm was constructed by Ralph de l'Isle (also referred to as Radulphus de Insula), whose surname was later Anglicised to Lyle, in the 13th century and remained in the family until purchased by the Porterfields in 1544. The Porterfields occupied the castle until 1710, when much of it was deconstructed and the stone used to build a new home further down the
River Gryffe, which exists to this day as
Duchal House. The ruins of the castle are still located in the parish. The name 'duchal' means 'between two rivers', and this indeed is reflected in the Castle's position, set between Green Water and its tributary, the Blacketty Water. Most significant in the Castle's history was its siege by King
James IV of Scotland in July 1489, following the Lyle's support of an insurrection against him. The King attended personally and, according to accounts, the inhabitants of the Castle surrendered immediately on the sight of the famous
Mons Meg cannon being rolled into position against them. The castle, however, was fired upon, and one of the Royal cannon gained the name "Duchal". The Dennistoun family originated in the parish in the mid-12th century and ended with Sir Robert Dennistoun, who died in 1399 with no male heirs. His two daughters inherited his parts of his estate and married into two new noble families, thus creating three main estates in Kilmacolm rather than two. The Cunninghams, later to become the
Earls of Glencairn, had their seat at Finlaystone House, and the Maxwells later constructed a seat at
Newark Castle in an area once known as Nether Finlaystone. With the death of
John Cunningham, 15th Earl of Glencairn in 1796, his title became extinct. Finlaystone House was passed to multiple owners, and is now the seat of the
chief of the
Clan MacMillan. In 1668, Sir George Maxwell sold much of his lands at Newark to the city of
Glasgow, for the development of
Port Glasgow. A later Sir George Maxwell disposed of his estate in the early 18th century. Newark Castle is now owned and operated by
Historic Scotland. The Duchal estates were acquired from the Lyles by John Porterfield in 1544. The Porterfields were staunch
Covenanters, and Duchal was widely seen as a refuge when the profession of such sympathies was criminalised in the 17th century. Illegal
Conventicles were held in the estate, particularly on the natural
amphitheatre which is positioned within the present-day 14th hole of the Kilmacolm Golf Club. As a result of these religious sympathies, the estate was sequestered by the Crown in 1684, and the men of the Porterfield family were arrested; it was however returned following the
Glorious Revolution. The last of the Duchal-based Porterfield family was James Corbett Porterfield, who died without an heir in 1855. His estate then passed to
Sir Hugh Shaw-Stewart, 8th Baronet, who served as a
Unionist politician and
Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire. Duchal House was subsequently purchased by the first
Lord Maclay, and remains in the family to this day.
Modern Kilmacolm The
arrival of the railway in Kilmacolm in 1869 marked a significant turning point in the village's history and lead to
Victorian era expansion on a grand scale. Prior to this development, the village had changed little in the preceding centuries, falling behind the development of other parts of the county. Kilmacolm's rail connection came about as a result of railway companies entering into the shipping trade and the perceived need to link
Glasgow directly to
Greenock's waterfront. Links to the wider world, and particularly Glasgow, made the village an attractive
dormitory settlement. Kilmacolm expanded at an unprecedented speed and many of the large Victorian and
Edwardian villas which characterise the village today were constructed, as well as such attractions as the
Hydropathic Hotel Indicative of the changes which the
gentrification of the village brought, in the 1920s a local
referendum was held in the village under the
Temperance (Scotland) Act 1913, resulting in it becoming a
dry parish where the sale of alcohol was illegal. The numerous
public houses which had existed in the Kilmacolm declined, and it was to have no such establishment from this time until the 1990s. In the religious sphere, the establishment of many of Kilmacolm's churches can be credited to religious disagreements, particularly the practice of patronage within the Church of Scotland – which allowed local landowners to choose a parish minister. This practice ended in 1874.
World War I paused local development somewhat, and 300 men (66 of whom were officers) in the parish enlisted in the
British Armed Forces. The village came to accommodate a number of
Belgian refugees. In the
Second World War, Kilmacolm was used to house
evacuees from Glasgow and public buildings were used to house those made homeless by the
Greenock Blitz in 1941. One bomb fell in Kilmacolm, causing minor damage and, following the war, the hydropathic hotel was used as a naval hospital until being returned to private ownership with its purchase by
Stakis Hotels. The modern village retains the character of its Victorian and
Edwardian boom.
Kilmacolm railway station was closed in 1983, and the track converted into a recreational
cycle path. Despite an increase in new housing in the village during the latter half of the 20th century and a corresponding increase in population, particularly in the 1960s and 70s, Kilmacolm has remained reasonably static in size over the past decade. Expansion into
green belt land is now discouraged and, combined with a high demand for housing, this has led to an identified shortage of
affordable housing in the village. The
Olympic Flame was carried through the village on 8 June 2012, as part of the
British Isles torch relay in celebration of the
London 2012 Olympic Games. ==Governance==