Bowmore Round Church – Killarow Parish Church

The Bowmore Round Church is situated at the end of Bowmore’s Mainstreet directly opposite the harbour. The church is also a wonderful landmark and offers wonderful views over Bowmore and Loch Indaal from it’s doorstep. Building started in 1767 and was initiated by Daniel Campbell the Younger. Construction took only three years, finished in 1769 and is the oldest church building on Islay where public worship takes place on a weekly basis.

The round shape of the church was created to prevent the devil from hiding in a corner. If that was the real reason or not, Bowmore Round church is a unique building on Islay, and probably Scotland, is open daily and definitely worth a visit.

A year after the building of the church commenced, the construction of the village of Bowmore started being a “planned village” with wide streets on a “grid-iron” pattern. In 1779, ten years later, Bowmore Distillery started their operation at the current location.

The church has its own attractive website and can be visited here.