Kilmodan is a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

situated on the Cowal Peninsula, in

Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute (; , ) is one of 32 unitary authority, unitary council areas of Scotland, council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod ...

, west of

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. It includes the valley of

Glendaruel Glendaruel (Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic: ''Gleann Dà Ruadhail'') is a glen in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The main settlement in Glendaruel is the Clachan of Glendaruel. Features The present Kilmodan Church was built in the Clachan of Glendaruel ...

and surrounding areas, with

Kilmodan Church Built in 1783 Kilmodan Church (or Kilmodan Kirk), is in the Clachan of Glendaruel in the Kilmodan parish of the Cowal peninsula, Argyll and Bute, West of Scotland. It is constructed to a Georgian T-plan design and a category B listed building ...

located in the Clachan of Glendaruel. The alternative historical spelling, Kilmadan, is no longer used. The '' Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland'', c. 1857, has this to say about Kilmodan:

Kilmadan (sometimes spelt Kilmodan) is a parish containing the postal station of
Glendaruel Glendaruel (Scottish Gaelic, Gaelic: ''Gleann Dà Ruadhail'') is a glen in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The main settlement in Glendaruel is the Clachan of Glendaruel. Features The present Kilmodan Church was built in the Clachan of Glendaruel ...
in
Cowal Cowal () is a rugged peninsula in Argyll and Bute, on the west coast of Scotland. It is connected to the mainland to the north, and is bounded by Loch Fyne to the west, by Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde to the east, and by the Kyles of Bute ...
,
Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle; , ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of western Scotland. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975 and most of the area ...
. It is in the Presbytery (presbyterian church) of Dunoon and
synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word '' synod'' comes from the Ancient Greek () ; the term is analogous with the Latin word . Originally, ...
of
Argyll Argyll (; archaically Argyle; , ), sometimes called Argyllshire, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of western Scotland. The county ceased to be used for local government purposes in 1975 and most of the area ...
. It is bounded by Loch Riddan, and by the parishes of Kilfinan,
Strachur Strachur () and Strathlachlan () are united parishes in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Strachur is a small village on the eastern coast of Loch Fyne. Geography Cowal is the large peninsula situated between Loch Long to the east and Loch Fyne ...
, Dunoon, and Inverchaolain. It consists chiefly of a glen, flanked by high hills, and extending southward; and is about long. The River Ruel traverses the upper part of the glen, and falls into the head of Loch Riddan. The extent of coast is upwards of three miles (5 km) and the scenery is of the grandest description.

The most well-known native of the parish is

Colin Maclaurin Colin Maclaurin (; ; February 1698 – 14 June 1746) was a Scottish mathematician who made important contributions to geometry and algebra. He is also known for being a child prodigy and holding the record for being the youngest professor. ...

, professor of mathematics at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

References

* Wilson, Rev. John Marius, editor, '' The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland'', n/d but circa 1857, pps: 199 - 200.

References

See also