Baroness McAusland

The Legend of Saint Kessog of Luss

Based on a post by Jim Gilhooly of THE SOCIETY OF KING ROBERT THE BRUCE

The Scottish army being blessed at Bannockburn. Image credit: Jim Gilhooly

I always assumed it would have been Saint Andrew or Saint Columba – or Saint Serf, that Bruce would have prayed to for victory at Bannockburn, (or all three in order to cover his bases). However there is an alternative option. Bruce was said to have prayed to Saint Kessog who was the local Saint of the Luss area on the western shore of Loch Lomond where he and his beleaguered force were given refuge after rowing the width of Loch Lomond to escape from the disaster at the Battle of Dalrigh.

Take The High Road. Image credit: STV.
Saint Kessog’s church, Luss.This picturesque church of 1875, the third built on this site on the banks of Loch Lomond, with its beautiful stained glass windows and uniquely timbered roof, featured frequently in TV’s ‘Take the High Road’. Cruciform church on Decorated Gothic-style with a belfry at the crossing. The ancient graveyard has 15 listed ancient monuments. Image Credit: Thrissel.

The following script is taken from pictures I took of 2 panels at the Heritage Centre in Luss , (where the TV series ”Take the High Road” used to be filmed), turns out some of the stories attributed to Columba, (Nessie for example), should be attributed to Saint Kessog:-

Panel 1 ”Kessog comes to Luss.”Loch Lomond lies where the 3 ancient Kingdoms of Scotland met: here Kessog came to build a church in Luss and a monastery on the island of Inchtavannach, (on Loch Lomond). The people called him Kess-og – ‘little spear’ because he thrust his message across into many parts of the kingdoms, and left his name wherever he went, from ”Keswick” in Cumbria to ”Kessock” near Inverness.He even went far to the North and dealt with the monster in the great loch – but Adamnan, took that story and claimed it for Columba who came to Scotland 50 years later.Kessog lived in Luss and Inchtavannach for 10 years.Legend says he was killed at Banory, the landing-place for Inchavannach, probably by Druids, who were powerful in the area at that time.But his memory and his stories of the One God lived on, and people began to come to the village to visit his grave. Luss became & centre of pilgrimage for first time in its long history. Image credit: Jim Gilhooly
Panel 2. ”Robert The Bruce” By the 13th century the village had become a centre of pilgrimage and we find the first written reference to Kessog in a charter granted to John of Luss. ‘’…for reverence & honour of our patron, the Holy man, the blessed Kessog…” This charter was confirmed in 1308 by Robert the Bruce who had lands in this area & greatly valued the memory of Kessog. He is said to have got the yew wood for his archers’ bows from the nearby island of Inchlonaig & at the battle Bannockburn led his men against the English, not in the name of St Andrew or St Columba but…. ‘’in the name of the Blessed Kessog…’’After his great victory the Bruce proved his devotion to the Saint by granting…‘’A girth of sanctuary of 3 miles radius around the church in Luss to the glory of God and in honour of the blessed Kessog, and we grant to John of Luss, knight for the honour of his patron, the Most Holy St Kessog freedom from exactions of the royal household, during the Kings progress within the lands of Luss.’’ …………..So it was St Kessog who supposedly travelled north up the Great Glen, saved one of his followers from Nessie in Loch Ness on the way up – and who met King Bride / Brude in his fort in Inverness in order to evangelise the Picts ! Image credit: Jim Gilhooly.

Saint Kessog

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/185823300/kessog

Saint Kessog. Image credit: Linda Davis.
BIRTH460 Cashel, County Tipperary, Ireland
DEATH10 March 520 (aged 59–60) Luss, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
BURIALLuss Parish Churchyard Luss, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
MEMORIAL ID185823300 · View Source

Roman Catholic Saint. He is remembered as one of the first Christian martyrs of Scotland. He probably was the son of Óengus mac Nad Froích, King of Cashel and Munster. Saint Kessog is said to have worked miracles even as a child. He was martyred some claim at Bandry where a heap of stones was known as St. Kessog’s Cairn, and others abroad. Part of the cairn at Bandry was removed in the 18th century to clear the way for a road. At that time, a stone statue of Kessog was found inside it. Luss was the principal center of his following with a sanctuary granted by Robert the Bruce. St. Kessog was reputed to be of Roman army descent, his father being in the Roman army as he was himself. He was known as the “soldier saint “ or “Priest-Soldier” as he went about with a sword tied to his waist. He frequented the Lennox area from the Firth of Clyde inland to Callander, Stirling and Glasgow. There are even references to him having a session with “Brude” Pictish King at Inverness, and the ferry to the Black Isle was called St. Kessog’s ferry. A church at Callander was called St Kessog’s. There is a well at the Honey Home between Balfron and Fintry called “St. Kessog’s Well” where he baptized his converts. Local legend supposes that he was found dead at this well where he had gone to quench his thirst and rest after walking some considerable distance. The Loch Lomond area is certainly the district that he most frequent and there are many monuments in his memory. In Luss Church there is an effigy of St. Kessog and his cell was near the top of Luss Glen. In the parish, St Kessog’s well forms the division between Leddriegreen and Ballewan estates. The well is located in the private grounds belonging to Kessog Bank between St. Kessog and the Blane Valley Inn. The surname “McKissick-Kissick” is derived from the Gaelic “MacIosaig” meaning “son of Isaac”. The original meaning of the surname comes from Sixth Century “Saint Kessog”. St. Kessog was born into the royal family of Munster in Southern Ireland 460 A.D. He left Ireland and came to the highlands of Scotland as a missionary and settled on Monk’s Island located near Loch Lomond in County Dumbarton in Scotland. It was once the site of a monastery, giving rise to its translated name of ‘Monk’s Isle’. A large house has stood on the site of the monastery. The island is predominantly wooded. It is here that the monks rang the bell to the call of prayer. Saint Kessog was martyred, and is buried at Luss where a church bears his name. His coat of arms shows a soldier’s habit, holding a bow, bent with an arrow in it.

Bio by: Walter C. Burgner, Jr.

“His coat of arms shows a soldier’s habit, holding a bow, bent with an arrow in it.” Quite appropriate when you think that Bruce grew Yew Trees for his archers locally. I have gone over the Kessock bridge at Inverness many times and never knew the connection with Saint Kessog.

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