Friends of Kilbride

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Friends of Kilbride

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We are a registered charity dedicated to preserving the historic structures that form "Kilbride," in Lerags Glen Oban Scotland.

The site has close associations with Clan MacDougall and the history of Scotland. A past too rich to have no future. If these hills and stones could speak, they would tell the story of Argyll, from the Bronze Age to the Druid Age, from the Reformation to the Jacobite Uprising, from the birth of modern Scotland to the birth of the British Empire. Columban missionaries dedicated the original church to St Bridget around the 6th century. Our first reference to it is in a 1249 document ordered by King Alexander II during a political row with Clan MacDougall, and it is the final resting place for the chiefs of this ancient clan. Today, visitors can explore the 18th century church and session house, as well as more than 300 gravestones. Kilbride offers peace and tranquillity, while providing a rich understanding of Scottish history over thousands of years.

20/10/2026

Advance warning of our online AGM which will be held on 3rd November at 5pm UK time. Further details will be sent out nearer the time.

22/08/2026

Heading towards autumn with the rowan berries ripening but still lots of colour among the stones. Lovely to meet a couple all the way from Sydney visiting today.

08/08/2026

29/06/2026

The visitor kiosk getting a spruce up beside our smart new notice boards and the flowers looking lovely in the graveyard.

17/06/2026

Our notice boards in place again. Thanks to Heritage Builders for a tidy job and to Carraig Ghael Wind Farm for funding the repairs via a microgrant approved by Kilmore & Kilbride Community Council.

05/06/2026

Catherine Gillies will be speaking about ‘The comparison of the three turreted brooches, the silver analysis and theories about the making of the brooches’ at the Brooch of Lorn study day. Catherine trained as an art historian with a particular focus on buildings and material culture, before diverting to a career as a journalist for press and BBC Radio for many years. A chance meeting with the noted social history collector Hope MacDougall in Oban reignited her passion for material culture and led to a 30 year association with the MacDougalls of Dunollie and their collections. She became a Trustee then project director of the Hope MacDougall Collection, and began to advise the Dunollie Preservation Trust, working initially on the Brooch of Lorn before expanding focus to the whole private collection. She was tasked with leading the opening of Dunollie Museum, castle and grounds to the public in 2011. She has also worked extensively as a heritage consultant specialising in independent museums and heritage sites throughout Scotland. She founded the Scottish Community Heritage Alliance in 2020. She retired from formal consultancy late last year, focussing instead on passion heritage projects and a squad of small grandchildren.

Book your place for the Brooch of Lorn study day at https://argyllestatesarchives.org/shop

19/05/2026

Bluebell and apple blossom time!

25/04/2026

Kilbride mentioned here!

21/04/2026

Carpets of celandines, pretty daisies and the last of the daffodils - spring sunshine in Kilbride 😎🌞☺️

Address

Lerags
Oban
PA344SE

Website

http://www.friendsofkilbride.scot/

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