St John's Cathedral

St John's Cathedral or the Cathedral Church of St John the Divine (Scottish Gaelic Ard-eaglais Eòin an Diadhair) is a cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church, located in the town of Oban. It is one of the two cathedrals of the Diocese of Argyll and The Isles, and one of the sees of the Bishop of Argyll and The Isles. The MacDougalls of Dunollie and Campbells of Dunstaffnage began the project to build an episcopal church in Oban in 1846. The first church was completed in 1864. The committee for the erection of the church appointed Charles Wilson as the architect, but following his death, the work was entrusted to his successor, David Thomson of the architectural practice Heath Wilson & David Thomson, Glasgow. As the Bishop of Argyll and The Isles Alexander Ewing was in Europe on account of his health, the church was consecrated by the Bishop of London Archibald Campbell Tait on Thursday 22 September 1864. It was described as being of small dimensions, consisting only of a nave and chancel, the total length being 61 feet (19 m) inside. The east window was filled with painted glass and donated by Sir Donald Campbell, 3rd Baronet of Dunstaffnage in memory of his brother Sir Angus. The rose window in the western gable was filled with painted glass, the gift of David Hutcheson. The contractors for the building were John McCorquodale for masonry, Andrew Fairgrieve for plumbing, Hugh Brown for slating, George McAlpine for plastering, Charles McLaren for glazing, R. Reguson & Sons for painting, and G. Smith & Co for ironwork. The cost of the first phase of the building was around £1,400 (equivalent to £153,800 in 2025). In 1882 a side aisle was added to the south of the 1864 building. The 1910 additions were by architect James Chalmers of Glasgow. Funds ran out before construction finished – thus we are left with a unique cathedral (designated as such in 1920) with each phase clearly visible in the cathedral and the steel girders still supporting the incomplete vision of…