Here in the South Isle is another of the stunning stained glass windows of the Kirk.
This window was designed by Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria. At the base it contains the Royal and Campbell arms and depicts St Michael slaying the dragon.
The arms are the personal arms of the Princess who was also Duchess of Argyll from 1900 and a close personal friend of Helen Douglas Campbell.
Louise was a highly talented woman, an artist across many media and a figure in the Pre-Raphaelite and Arts and Crafts movements.
Tradition states that it was a 7 headed dragon, with each head representing one of the deadly sins, however, Princess Louise’s dragon only has 6.
Interestingly, this appears to be a smaller rework of another larger window that the Princess designed and created. The original window can be found in St Anne’s church in Bagshot, Surrey and contains three panes, with St Raphael and St Gabriel standing to each side of St Michael.
St Conan’s Kirk requires ongoing maintenance and it is through donation that we are are able to maintain and improve this building and keep it open for the public to enjoy. So if you are able, please use one of the following links to donate by text message.
