THE KILMORY CROSS

Contributed by: , 17 March, 1999

The Kilmory Cross was erected around 1500 for Alexander MacMillan, son of Lachlan Og, MacMillan Chief, at Kilmory chapel, South Kintyre.
This note taken from the book MacMillan by Mary Beaton.

The following notes were taken from The MacMillan's and Their Septs by Somerled MacMillan, and quoted from Dr. Hugh Macmillan.

This is one of the finest stone crosses in Scotland, said to be inferior only to St Martin's Cross in Iona. It is about twelve feet high and is composed of solid chlorite slate. On the right of the cross is the Virgin Mary with a halo around her. Her head is slightly averted, as if turning away her face in sorrow from the dreadful sight before her, and her hand is placed upon her heart, which this sword of grief, according to the prophecy, has pierced.
On the other side of the cross is John, the beloved disciple, with his right hand holding to his heart a copy of his gospel.
Below the crucifixion, there is a long two-handed sword finely carved. On the other side of the cross there is an elaborate pattern of interlaced work at the top, filling all the rounded disk.
Below, on the shaft, is carved a representation of a Highland chief hunting the deer, which is remarkable as the earliest specimen of the Highland dress in existence. Beneath the huntsman there is an inscription in ancient Saxon characters, which can be easily deciphered as

"Haec est crux Alexandri MacMulen"

(This is the cross of Alexander MacMillan)

 

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