Cathedral of the Isles - Millport, North Ayrshire, Scotland - Unique Steeples on Waymarking.com

This tall steeple can be found on the south side of the western gable of the Cathedral of the Isles, a Scottish Episcopal church in the town of Millport, the only settlement on the south side of the island of Great Cumbrae, a relatively small island on the Firth of Clyde just off the Ayrshire coast of Scotland.

The church was built from 1845-51 to a design by London architect William Butterfield, who was commissioned benefactor George Boyle, the 6th Earl of Glasgow, who wanted to build a theological college for the Tractarian Church on site.

The church and college buildings were completed in 1851 on eight acres of landscaped wooded grounds to the north of the town in a geometrical Gothic style, with the body of the church aligned east to west, and the college buildings on either side to the east.

In 1876 the church was granted cathedral status and named the Cathedral of the Isles and Collegiate Church of the Holy Spirit. It is currently Britain's smallest working cathedral but is given larger status by the tall tower and spire which houses the entrance above a flight of steps towards the south-west corner.

The tower has stepped corner buttresses and a lancet style entrance at the foot of the south face. It is divided by multiple horizontal string courses, with a small lancet window above the first string course, then two narrow lancets above the next one. There are three louvred lancets with Y-tracery above this with denticulation above dividing the foot of the stone spire which contains stone pitched dormers with two lancets.

The cathedral and grounds can be visited freely from 8.30am to 6.00pm, with the college buildings now used ask a retreat with bed and breakfast. The island can be reached from a continual ferry service from the town of Largs on the mainland.