History of the Manse

The Manse was built in 1864 next to the Free Church of Scotland. The original land plot was larger as it included the plot that Cornaigbeg sits on.

The Free Church of Scotland was formed in 1843 by a large withdrawal from the established Church of Scotland in a schism known as the “Disruption of 1843”. This was engineered by a group of Evangelicals who were concerned about the state’s encroachment on the spiritual independence of the Church. One of the issues that the Free Church, was the patronage system that enabled rich landowners to select the local ministers.

The Free Church had a goal of a church within each Scottish Parish, which is why the Church and Manse were built in Kilmartin.

The church was active until the 1950-60’s when it was decommissioned (exact date unknown), it stood derelict for a number of years before it caught fire and was demolished.

The Manse has been a guest house/bed and breakfast since the church was decommissioned, with the present owners purchasing the property in 2013. Since then the property has been undertaking some renovation, which keeps the Victorian feel but modernises the amenities.