Road to the isles, 22nd June, Croc-an-Raer church
![Image](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBsTvLMpf6NmFqdRJMHGh5gtr4TZ_hyphenhyphenMpa7GzdCeJKkP9GuaGN_QL42PvDczcVfA4zEomZJf3Q9lilNGp5Jtq0Zrkv9p7fmOhj7wJV8Z2b8nJg6def85BlncowqiTigRgUTAn_E6tBWBXp/s640/20150622-_DSC5368-Edit.jpg)
This now abandoned church was built in 1836 by the Marquess of Bute to satisfy the Gaelic speaking population of north Bute, around 1400 of them, who used to attend a Sunday service at the church in Rothesay. However the Rothesay church stopped giving services in Gaelic and there was much dissent in response. Croc-an-Raer held Gaelic services until 1895 when the language had all but died out in Bute. By 1980 the church was in a state of disrepair and became too expensive to renovate. It still has a large and well kept graveyard. Here is a small selection of infrared photographs of it.