Parish: Kelton

Location: Location Map: Ordnance Survey Grid Ref: NX 7630 6090

HES Record Click here for detail on Trove.scot

Fir Island sitting in Carlingwark Loch, Castle Douglas is relativly small.  There are local traditions that the island may have been the home of a small Chapel, but there are no remains visible on the Island.

In the first Statistical account of Scotland published in the 1790’s (vol III 297-307) the writer of the Kelton account states :

“There was always a tradition in the parish, that there had been a town in the loch, which sunk, or was drowned; and that there were two churches or chapels, one on each of the two large isles”

The other isle mentioned is probably Ash Island.

As said, there is no evidence for a chapel on Fir Island. RCAHMS describe the island as a fortified island reputedly used in 1300 by Edward I of Englands Cavalry for reshoeing their horses. See the HES Records above.