Building record MAB12164 - ABOYNE PARISH CHURCH

The ruined church of St Adamnan is located at the eastern edge of a large golf course on the outskirts of Aboyne, close to the Loch of Aboyne.

The ruined church of St Adamnan is located at the eastern edge of a large golf course on the outskirts of Aboyne, close to the Loch of Aboyne. There is a later field system to the north of the church and the land today is suitable only for rough grazing. St Adamnan's was the original church in Aboyne. It was granted to the Knights Templar and confirmed by Alexander II in 1242. There is little remaining of the church today. Turf-covered mounds in the graveyard show where the church foundations lie, and some courses of granite rubble stone can be seen through the turf. Attached at the eastern end of the church is a later burial enclosure or vault, likely 19th century in date. It has granite rubble walls standing up to 1.75m in height and capped with broader granite slabs. There is a doorway in the south face and inside is a single carved grave slab of uncertain date. The surrounding graveyard is well-maintained and has a few 18th century burials, but most are 19th century in date, with some later 20th century ones. Mature trees surround the boundary and there are smaller trees growing amongst the gravestones. A coped rubble wall marks the boundary of the graveyard and there is an unusual metal style (with metal ladder rungs and handrails) in the north-west corner. The Formaston Stone (NO59NW0015), a Pictish cross-slab with ogham inscription, was found under doorway of the church. It stood for some time in the graveyard of St. Adamnan's Church, and was later erected in the grounds of Aboyne Castle before being relocated to Inverurie Museum. The stone has since been moved once more, in 2002, to the Victory Hall in Aboyne (NO59NW0053). The old bird cage belfry wit the bell was removed and re-erected on the north side of the tower of the home farm buildings (NO59NW0071).

ORDNANCE SURVEY, 1871, Ordnance Name Book, No4(1865) 33 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1360.

CROSS-SLAB

McCONNACHIE, AL, 1898, THE ROYAL DEE, 116 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1136.

ALLEN, JR, 1903, EARLY CHRISTIAN MONUMENTS OF SCOTLAND 3, 188-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3.

SCOTT, H, 1950, FASTI ECCLES SCOT, No6,77 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1806.

EASSON, D, 1957, MEDIEVAL RELIGIOUS HOUSES: SCOTLAND, 132 (Bibliographic reference). SAB440.

EELES, FC, 1957, THE CHURCH AND OTHER BELLS OF ABERDEENSHIRE PSAS 90 (1956-7) 130-60, p.132 (Bibliographic reference). SAB490.

CFA, 1991, DES : DESS ESTATE SURVEY, 35 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3871.

WALL

HAMILTON, J, 1991, REPORT ON SURVEY, DESS ESTATE, 14 (Bibliographic reference). SAB754.

BOGDAN, N, 2008, EARLY CASTLES OF ABERDEENSHIRE (Bibliographic reference). SAB3811.

FRASER, I, 2008, THE PICTISH SYMBOL STONES OF SCOTLAND, 22-23 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2523.

Record last edited

Feb 16 2024 3:43PM