The Scottish Episcopal Churches of ​Mid Argyll & Arran

The Scottish Episcopal Churches scattered across Mid Argyll and Arran are proper architectural treasures if you're the sort who stops to admire a good kirk. We're talking a collection of handsome stone buildings - some dating back centuries - that sit quietly in villages and glens around Lochgilphead. Each has its own character: some austere and dignified, others with unexpected details that catch you off guard. The interiors are worth a proper look if you can get in; lots of original woodwork and that particular smell of old hymn books that never quite leaves.

This is absolutely one for history types and architecture enthusiasts rather than the kids-for-an-afternoon crowd. Walkers doing circuits around the area will find these churches make natural stopping points. The appeal isn't in spending hours at any single one - more that they reward a slow exploration if you're the kind of traveller who likes to poke about village churches anyway.

Most are free to enter, though opening times vary wildly depending on which church and which day. Worth checking locally or phoning ahead rather than planning your day around them. The real value here is threading them together as part of a broader Argyll holiday - combine a visit with walking in the surrounding glens or staying at Lochgilphead Caravan Park (just ten minutes away) and you've got a proper excuse to wander the backroads. The Pod Over By, further out near Tarbert, works well if you want somewhere quieter as a base.