LOAF-KKCPA Sub-group
Minutes of Meeting 07-10-25
Held by Teams
Present: M McDonald (Chair), V Nimmo (Minutes), E McTaggart, K Pytasz, G Lawson, R Colville, A Baird, T Murphy
Welcome: M McDonald welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Apologies: J Nimmo, M MacKaveney
Meeting notes 02-09-25:
MMcD apologised for the unsuccessful meeting.
Message from JN requesting clarification on her contributions to the website. MMcD, problem was with the layout of the website and not with Jan’s content. Home page had Jan’s blog, rather than information about the project.
Cameron had revised the website and it is much more user friendly now.
Council Update:
TM and MMcD to arrange a meeting to discuss the partnership agreement with the Council to meet with HES lawyers’ requirements. – possibly 4th or 13th November.
TM had agreed a winter plan for maintenance with local operative but illness has impacted on this. TM/NL will have a walk around with Ian McMurchy, acting replacement, to bring him up to speed with what is required.
Treasurer’s Report:
As at close of business on 30/09/2025 the groups available balance stood at £3,612.11 (Three thousand, six hundred twelve pounds eleven pence), due to the settlement of Krystyna’s invoice relating to the in person technical meeting held on Tuesday 9th September.
Since then, we have paid expense invoices from Krystyna and Nic Boyes in respect of the visit by Dr Burnham and the drone footage of Kilkivan carried out by Jason McCallum. This has reduced the groups available balance to £2,212.11(Two thousand, two hundred twelve pounds eleven pence).
KKCPA’s money is now in a separate account.
Chairperson’s report:
PATRON VISIT: Dr Peter Burman MBE visited Kintyre on Thursday and Friday last week, along with Krystyna, Nic Boyes (our medieval stone conservator), and Ross (husband of Peter). Arriving late on the Wed, the group made a quick visit to Killean church on the way down (before the fading light). In the morning, they took a walk to view the Campbeltown Cross, the Museum, and then visiting Kilchenzie before lunch. In the afternoon they saw Kilkivan before the weather really closed in. Later that evening we met at the Council chambers in the Town Hall and formally introduced Dr Burman as our Patron to those gathered. On the Thursday on their way back up the road, they took a longer visit to Killean and left Kintyre before storm Amy arrived.
Marion has prepared an article for the Courier. Dr Burman hopes to return in the spring when MMcD has offered to accommodate him on the farm.
KILLEAN: Sometime in the last two weeks, A & B Council have replaced the Heras fencing around the church. It no longer impinges on the building, but does cover a much larger area. Now the area is properly fenced off with metal bolted clamps connecting each panel of fencing to the next. The previously overgrown area has been strimmed and is looking much better. There is a lot of water ingress in the vault caused by the amount of thatch on the roof above. Photos were taken of the stones affected by the water ingress.
KILCHENZIE: The situation at Kilchenzie remains as before. Grass cutting and strimming has taken place regularly over the summer. During our visit on Thursday, we noted what appeared to be 4 more medieval grave slab portions being used as grave markers. Thanks to David Brown, a visitor who brought this to our attention when he visited recently. Nic has taken some photos of them.
MEDIEVAL KINTYRE WEBSITE: Cameron had done an excellent job of updating the website. The links are all there, and the site is much more streamlined looking. The first page is just about the key sites now and focuses on Killean, Kilkivan & Kilchenzie. Additional places of interest, blogs and other information are easily accessed from a drop-down menu at the top of the page. We are extremely grateful to Cameron for his expertise in this matter.
Fundraising An application has been made to WKWFT for 90% of the professional fees associated with preparation of the updated grant application to HES, NLH, as per Krystyna’s time scale and costs in the previous non-meeting notes.
Update from K Pytasz:
KP suggested holding a conference in the springtime to update the public on the progress of the project, with a number of speakers, eg Dr Burman and others to learn from other similar projects, their successes and failures.
VN queried if this was taking away from main aim of the project as volunteers have limited time. KP thought it would add to publicity. AB suggested sub-group to organise.
Update from V Nimmo
MACC have granted us £1000 to cover costs of Dr Burman’s visit.
The video of the removal of the stones at Kilkivan has been approved by HES. It is now available on our website. Thanks to Cameron.
Video is now embedded on the Kilkivan page:https://www.medievalkintyre.uk/kilkivan/
Video link here: https://youtu.be/S-9r29EUFxU
I have given Jason the go-ahead to take drone footage of Kilkivan,
Zoom over the whole graveyard,
Close up of walls inside and out.
He will do this as and when weather permits.
He will do something similar at Killean & Kilchenzie, unless there is something else required – to contact RC and MMcD for help and access.
KANHS have agreed to fund this.
Signs at the three sites – not progressed as KP’s email suggested laminated signs, which wasn’t what had been agreed, further confirmation required- Agreed to go ahead with signs from Argyll signs.
Meeting with Greg Sherwood, President Southworth Europe, who was very impressed with what we are doing. Awaiting a funding request application form from them.
AOCB
Update from Transport Scotland. At last MAKI APG it was stated that footpath at Kilchenzie was in the design stage in this financial year, to be actioned in 2026-27. KP suggested that more formal evidence than MAKI minutes was needed for HES.
VN suggested that CMcL should be asked to set up a Just Giving page or something similar on our web page. Money to go directly into Medieval Kintyre account. MMcD to contact CMcL and also to alter slightly the home page of the website to replace LOAF and KKCPA in the drop down menu by the site names.
Date of Next Meeting – Tuesday 4thNovember 2025 10.30am via Teams.
