Ayrshire

Contents

Colmonell

Bibliography

• "Highways and Byways in Galloway and Carrick" by C.H. Dick, published MacMillan & Son, 1938.
• "Ayrshire Nights Entertainment: A Descriptive Guide to the History, Traditions, Antiquities of the County of Ayr" by John MacIntosh of Galston, Ayrshire, published in 1894, by John Menzies & Co. of Kilmarnock, Dunlop and Drennan.
  

Cemeteries

The main burial ground surrounds the parish church built in 1772 on the site of earlier churches. There is also a 20th century Colmonell Cemetery.

"Pre-1855 Gravestone Inscriptions; an index for Carrick, Ayrshire" edited by Alison Mitchell, and published in Edinburgh in 1988 by the Scottish Genealogy Society covers the parish of Colmonell and the small old cemetery at Barrhill.

Church History

There have been several churches in the parish, not all of which have survived until the late 20th century. These included:

• The present Parish Church of Colmonell, which was built in 1772 in the site of earlier churches which had been in existence since at least 1179.
  
• There was a medieval chapel dedicated to St Donan (Kildonan) at Barrhill, serving the residents of the Duisk valley.
  
• A "quod sacra" church (chapel of ease in Colmomell) that was built at Arnsheen in 1845 and was formally disjoined from the parish of Colmonell in 1872.
  
• The Free Church at Colmonell founded in 1844 and rebuilt in 1898.
  
• The Free Church at Barrhill founded in 1850.
  
• The General Associate Synod (Anti-Burgher) which was established at Ford in 1755 and a new church built in 1800. In 1827, this became the Original Secession Church, but in 1853 its Minister, Dr Laing, and congregation joined the Free Church.
  
• A Reformed Presbyterian Church created in the early 19th century, which existed at Poundland until 1898, when its congregation too joined the Free Church.
  

Description and Travel

Originally known as Kilcolmonell, Colmonell is a large and very rural parish which lies in the south of the county, between Ballantrae to the south and Girvan and Barr to its north. The parish includes the villages of Colmonell, Lendalfoot, Ford, Kildonan and Barrhill. The parish is also the site of ruins of Knockdolian, Carleton and Craigneil Castles.

On the coast under Bennane Head, is found a large well-lit cave which is known as Sawney Bean's Cave. It was home to the legendary Bean family whose infamy was to have been cannibals. The legend, told in a number of popular ballads and tales, has it that they preyed on travellers on the road running above the cave.

To the east of the parish is the county boundary with the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright and the Parish of Minigaff.

Local Momentos. Richard Jackson has acquired a number of old autograph books which contain some verses, pictures etc. centred around Bardrochat, Colmonell. He has posted transcripts and scans on his own website.