Islay
Kilarrow Parish Church: Bowmore’s Round Church
July 2017
Kilarrow Parish Church, commonly known as the Round Church, stands at the head of Main Street in Bowmore. Construction began in 1767 under Daniel Campbell of Shawfield and Islay, who was developing Bowmore as a planned settlement. The church opened for worship in 1769 and became one of the settlement’s defining buildings.
The church has a complete circular plan measuring approximately 60 feet (18.3 m) across. Its conical roof is supported by a substantial central column connected to a radial roof structure. A U-shaped gallery was added around 1830 to increase seating capacity, and the interior was extensively altered around 1890.
Kilarrow Parish Church is protected as a Category A listed building and remains in ecclesiastical use. Its surrounding churchyard contains generations of parish memorials, including the grave of Bowmore-born minister Donald Caskie and several Commonwealth war graves.
