Description

Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Planning Authority

Located in a prominent position near Killin Parish Church this late 19th century Celtic cross memorial was erected by the Gaelic Society of Perth and is dedicated to the Reverend James Stewart. Stewart (1700-1789) was the first translator of the New Testament into Scottish Gaelic and resided at the nearby manse (now Invertay House, see separate listing). This memorial is of interest as a signifier of the work which Stewart carried out for the benefit of the Gaelic-speaking community and his consequential place within Scottish history as a whole. While the memorial itself is modest, the strong historic interest here adds significant weight to its importance.

The monument consists of a stepped stone base surmounted by a square main body with inscribed panels to the North and South. Above this is a polygonal shaft and the whole is topped by a Celtic cross set on a tapering shaft. The monument is surrounded by cast-iron railings with decorative arrowhead finials.

MATERIALS

Grey and pink polished and unpolished granite and sandstone.

Statement of Interest

The text on the monument is mirrored and only differs in the language used; that to the North is in English, that to the South in Gaelic. The English text reads, 'IN MEMORY OF THE REV JAMES STEWART MINISTER OF KILLIN FOR 52 YEARS FIRST TRANSLATOR OF THE NEW TESTAMENT INTO SCOTTISH GAELIC ERECTED BY THE GAELIC SOCIETY OF PERTH AND OTHER FRIENDS TO WHOM HIS MEMORY IS DEAR BORN 1700 DIED 1789'.

Stewart was minister of Killin Parish Church from 1737-89 and along with his son, John, was the principal translator of the Bible into Gaelic. His translation of the New Testament was published in 1769 and the Old Testament was completed after his death.

Gillies (writing in 1938) notes that the monument was erected 50 years ago.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77778258

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)