12/02/2022
A walk into history…
The Glencairn Aisle is Kilmaurs' best kept secret, hidden behind St Maurs-Glencairn Church.
The building contains the burial crypt of the Cunningham Earls of Glencairn and a magnificently carved monument of 1600 to James, the 7th Earl, his wife, Countess Margaret and their eight children. The crypt lies beneath a slab set into the floor and it contains at least 21 family burials.
Two recently identified ornately carved 14th century cross slabs in the aisle are thought to have originally come from the graves of Sir William Cunningham and his wife who founded the collegiate college at Kilmaurs that once had a range of buildings nearby, housing priests whose job was to pray for the souls of the Cunninghams.
The aisle and monument have suffered over the centuries with a collapse of the roof, vandalism by labourers who broke into the crypt, casual damage as well as robbing of the stones. The Cunningham family paid for repairs that were managed by Duncan McNaught, the village's teacher and an eminent historian.
Urgent repairs have again become essential and a Glencairn Aisle Preservation Committee is raising funds to ensure the survival of the aisle and its monument. The aisle's owners have not been identified, but the aisle has its own page with a BACS donation facility, Wikipedia article and YouTube videos. Local artist Tina Sloan is a supporter and has produced paintings of the aisle and monument which are sold in her art studio in Kilmaurs main street with a percentage donated to the preservation funds.
For more information search for Glencairn Aisle on Facebook 👍🏻