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ULVA
Taken from RCAHMS
Argyll Volume 3
This Parliamentary church
situated on the small island of Ulva was one of
five churches on Mull and Iona to be designed by
Thomas Telford and was completed, along with the
manse, in 1828 at an expense of GB1495.14/1.
In the mid 1950s Lady Congleton
who owned the island purchased the church and
the greater part of the church was converted
into a community hall and only the north west
portion was retained for ecclesiastical use.
One of the original entrances (on the south west
wall) was made into a window and a new entrance
made on the north west wall. The south west
elevation was further modified by the
construction of a boiler house, the chimney
rising between the central windows.
Inside the church the main
feature of interest is found in a good example
of an early pulpit. It is made of pine and
incorporates a precentor's desk and heavily
moulded sounding-board (helps reflect and
amplify the minister's voice). The sides and
front are panelled and at the back are tiered
pairs of moulded panels framed within fluted
pilasters. It was originally designed to stand
at the centre of the south west wall, as in
other parliamentary Highland churches, and is
one of a few only to have survived.
Neil Maclean was the first
minister of Ulva Church. As most Highland
ministers were required to do when waiting for a
call to a parish church - teach in the family of
a heritor - he had been a tutor to Charles
Macquarie's children, the heritor of Ulva. He
was considered to be a clever and able preacher.
The church is now privately
owed and a couple of services are conducted
every year at Easter and Harvest time.
For more information see:
RCAHMS Argyll Volume 3 (Her Majesty's
Stationery Office Edinburgh 1980) ISBN 0 11
491591 1
Jo Currie Mull the island
and its people (Birlinn 2000) ISBN 1 84158
105 4
Brown & Whittaker Walking
in North Mull (Brown & Whittaker 2002) ISBN
0 9528428 2 3 and
www.brown-whittaker.co.uk
Allan Maclean Telford's
Highland Churches The Society of West
Highland & Island Historical Research 1989 ISBN
0 906 366 07 0
Jean Whittaker The burial
grounds of North Mull no. 2 (Brown &
Whittaker) Ready in 2006
Ferry - on demand during the
Summer months. The island is closed on
Saturdays.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS: The
Boathouse - small museum and interpretative
display.
Memorial to Clark family who owned island until
1940s.
Basalt rock columns.
Livingstone's cave - named because his
grandparents lived here for a short time.
Livingstone was a famous African explorer and
missionary. Evidence of very early use
possibly 8,000 years ago in Mesolithic period.
Stunning walks to the ruined villages, click
here for
guided walks and tours on Ulva.
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