Mull Historical Society describes Kilninian, built in 1755, as ‘one of the oldest (churches), and until very recently, still used for worship. Possibly standing on the site of an earlier medieval church, it first appears in the records of 1561, where it is stated that the parsonage of ‘Keilnoening’ had formerly belonged to the Abbot of Iona.’
The more recent history of the church includes the few years when Fr Stephen and his small community tried to found a Catholic monastery around Kilninian. When they changed their plans and moved instead to mainland Scotland, they very generously donated the church to the Orthodox Church, under condition that Kilninian would still be used as the home of a monastic community.
For over two years, Kilninian was taken care of by sister Marina, who also lived there for many months between 2010 and 2012.
At the present moment, with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Joseph, we have started the necessary work in order to turn Kilninian into the first Orthodox Monastery in the Hebrides. This includes restoration work for the church itself and building work for a small number of new cells for the future monastics.
It was also decided that the Monastery Chapel will remain dedicated to Saints Ninian and Cuthbert, and that it will be a monastery for nuns.