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The character of the Celtic Church was monastic and missionary. Alongside the monastic clergy there were also a few secular clergy but they were in the minority and lived under a much less harsh rule than the monks. In various places they were even allowed to be married. There were married clergy in Wales until the eleventh or twelfth century. The Rule of Celtic monastic foundations, as laid down in the writings of St Columbanus, was very severe, far more so than the Rule of St Benedict. Its principles were absolute and unreserved obedience, constant and severe labour, and daily self-denial and fasting. The least deviation from this Rule was corrected by severe corporal punishment. A notable aspect of Celtic monasticism was the search for a solitary retreat. It was this search for isolation which resulted in many communities being founded on remote islands. Often, as part of the ideal of sacrifice and penance, the saints would deliberately cut themselves off from their home country. There were three levels of committment for a Celtc missionary - Green Martyrdom, White Martyrdom, and Red Martyrdom. The green martyr would find a place of isolation within his or her own country. The white path took the monks away from their home country. Those who chose the red route found a desolate spot with a high probability of briging them into contact with warlike heathens and thus would result in great risk to their lives and often death at the hands of the Vikings or Danes.

Location

St Blane's Chapel on the Isle of Bute is named after St Blane, who was born on Bute in the 6th century. It lies about 8.5 miles south of Rothesay and 2 miles south of Kingarth in a beautifully peaceful spot above Dunagoil on the rugged west coast of Bute, near the southern tip of the island. It lies in a sheltered rocky hollow some 150 feet above sea level with views of the sea and the Arran mountains.


Pictures Copyright © Zak. Used with permission.
It is reached by following the A884 south from Rothesay to the cemetery located about a quarter mile from the crossroads at Kingarth, where the Plan Road begins and is signposted as the route to St Blane's. Follow Plan Road to the car park at the end. Then follow the path upwards on foot.

The Causeway

The monastic site is surrounded by an enclosure wall, part of which is a rocky ridge about 70 feet high running north to south and lies 50 yards west of the chapel. The dry stone enclosure wall surrounded the whole site and each end was joined to the ridge. The wall is still discernable and is known as 'The Causeway.' The earliest celtic churches were often built within the fortified enclosures of local chieftains who patronized and protected them. So it may be that the enclosure pre-dates the monastic settlement. Within the enclosure there are several ruined buildings. The bell from the monastery is now at Dunblane Cathedral.

In 1896 the third Marquess of Bute had the site preserved and partly rebuilt. During that work a portion of the Causeway was excavated and this revealed the foundations of very primitive buildings, stone implements with celtic knotwork, the shafts and heads of crosses and burial slabs and a notable brass book-clasp described in The Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotlands, vol. XXXIV.

The Chapel

In the middle of the site is the 12th-century Norman chapel, with a finely decorated Romanesque chancel arch which still stands. The ruined medieval chapel, built in the 12th century, stands on the site of the earlier celtic monastery, founded in 575 by St Blane. The chapel may have been built by Alan The Steward. It was long believed that the Norman chapel was the original structure on the site until it was discovered that behind the Norman facing are remains of the rubble-built basilica of St Blane.

The well beside the chapel was supposed to be the home of a Sith (or fairy) who could cure sterility when given gifts of gold or silver. Such offerings were still being made during the first half of the 20th century.

Alan Fitz-Walter

Alan Fitz-Walter, also called Alan The Steward, the second High Steward of Scotland (from 1177 to 1204) was probably responsible for building the Norman church since it was the only parish church on Bute at the time. In 1204, the year of his death, he issued a charter granting the church to the Cluniac order of monks at Paisley Abbey. He was buried in Paisley Abbey after his death.

"Also, for the benefit of the soul of King David, and the soul of King Malcolm, and the souls of Walter, my father, and Eschene, my mother; and for the salvation of myself and my heirs; I give, grant, and by this deed convey to the said monastery at Paisley, and the monks serving God therein, the church of Kingaith (Kingarth) in the island of Bute, with all the chapels and the whole parish of that island, together with the whole of those lands of which the boundaries, said to have been fixed by St. Blane, are still apparent from sea to sea."

The Churchyards

Beside the chapel are two churchyards, upper and lower burial yards separated by a wall with some fine gravestones. The upper yard was used (until 1661) for men, while the lower was for women, and nearby, in a spot on the face of the precipice, those who had died of foul diseases were buried. Separate cemeteries were not uncommon in the celtic church and stories of St Blane decreeing separate burial as a result of the refusal of a woman to help collect sacred earth brought from Rome are more likely the result of local storytellers creating reasons for separate burial in their tales. In 1661, during a visitation of the parish by the presbytery at Dunoon, the practice was stopped as it was felt to be superstitious, and it was decreed that both men and women were to be buried in the upper churchyard. The minister was also ordered to attend all burials for a season to ensure that the decree was carried out.

The Cauldron

North of the chapel is a structure know variously as The Cauldron, The Deil's Cauldron, The Dreamin' Tree Ruin, or The Dreamin' Tree. It is a massive circular wall of unhewn stone blocks about 9 feet thick. The original purpose of of this structure was likely to act as an inner stronghold if the fortified enclosure was under serious attack. Its age is unknown but it does seem likely to have been one of the earliest buildings on the site. It is also thought to have served purpose as a place of penance or punishment during monastic times.

An old gaelic place name 'Druim-en-tre' which means 'the little ridge dwelling' was probably corrupted to become The Dreamin' Tree or The Dreamin' Tree Ruin a name which then became associated with an ash tree which grew near the chapel at the end of the 19th century. The Dreamin' Tree was visited by lovers because plucking and eating the leaves together was supposed to bring on dreams where their future spouses and true fates would be revealed.

Montague Stanley

The following lines of poetry were written about the site of St Blane's Chapel by Montague Stanley, an actor and artist who retired to Bute...

Abbot and monk are gone,
And on the passing gale rings out no more
    Matin or vesper bell;
Cold, silent, still, and lone,
They echo but the wintry tempest's roar--
    Decay's wild knell.
Time was, when superstition's glare
From many a lofty taper's ray,
    Illumed the night,
And the loud organ's swell
Peeled forth, in many a startling tone,
    Of music's might.

Montague Stanley does not seem to be remembered much for his poetry, nor even for his acting and painting, but he carved himself a small niche in history because he is the sole occupant of Ascog Churchyard.

Atmosphere

This is one of the most beautiful, peaceful spots on the island. It overlooks the vitrified fort of Dunagoil and the Sound of Bute to give breathtaking views of Kintyre and the hills of Arran. Wild foxgloves litter the whole site and its sheltered position encourages visitors to linger long enough to absorb the tranquility of the place. Many visitors, like visitors to Iona, use words like 'magical' when describing this important historic location.