Building record MAB15429 - OLD CLUNY CHURCHYARD, CLUNY

Graveyard and the site of the medieval church of St Machar's.

Graveyard and the site of the medieval church of St Machar's. The first kirk belonged to the Cathedral of Aberdeen and is first mentioned in the taxation documents of 1225 AD. The old church was also recorded in 1574 AD through the mention of its reader John Strachan. In circa 1732 AD it was described as a 'cross church' with two aisles, but it had become ruinous by about 1789 before being demolished shortly afterwards. The replacement kirk built in 1789 sits on the top of a small hill to the south.

The churchyard itself has a small entrance gate in the south corner and it is roughly rectangular in shape. It contains approximately 32 recumbent gravestones, five of which are significantly decorated. There are many more gravestones but these have become fully turfed over. There are four wrought-iron mort safes with granite slab tops, located to the front of the Fraser Mausoleum.

The notable Elyza Fraser Mausoleum, dated 1808 and designed by James Byers of Tonley, is of circular Roman Neo-classical design form executed in fine ashlar granite and bears an inscription to 'ELIZABETH FRASER OF CASTLE FRASER MDCCC VIII'. The mausoleum has a fine moulded base with the entire building resting on a square plinth. The doorway, with a fine carved coat of arms above, has an outer wrought-iron grille. To the right hand side of the doorway there is a signature of Wllm Cottie, possibly the stonemason who built the structure. Inside is a glazed internal door. Elyza Fraser died six years after the completion of the mausoleum, which contains several burials.

Also in the churchyard is an unusual terracotta Early Italian renaissance monument to James Reid MA and his wife Marie Claudine Nardin, circa 1897 AD. Within the churchyard extension is the Commonwealth war grave of Flight Sergeant Alexander McAllan, RAF.

JERVISE, A, 1879, EPITAPHS & INSCRIPTIONS,VOL 2, No2(1879) 127 (Bibliographic reference). SAB889.

RITCHIE, J, 1912, PSAS 46(1911-12) 285-302, 298-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1516.

SCOTT, H., 1915-2000, FASTI ECCLESIAE SCOTICANAE, No6(1926) 86 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1621.

HAY, G., 1957, THE ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTTISH POST-REF CHURCHES, 235 (Bibliographic reference). SAB720.

SHEPHERD, I, 1996, ABERDEEN AND NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND (2ND ED), p. 117-8 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4829.

KK ART AND CONSERVATION, 2014, FRASER MAUSOLEAUM MEMORIALS, OLD CHURCHYARD, CLUNY, ABERDEENSHIRE, Condition report (Bibliographic reference). SAB1035.

NORTH EAST SCOTLAND PRESERVATION TRUST, 2026, Conservation Repairs to the Elyza Fraser Mausoleum at the Old Kirkyard, Cluny, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire (Bibliographic reference). SAB37302.

Aug 1 2000 , GR/00/CT403-404, GR/00/CT403-404 (Ground Photograph). SAB36892.

Aug 1 2000 , SC 977328 , SC 977328 (Ground Photograph). SAB20554.

Aug 1 2000 , SC 977328 , SC 977328 (Ground Photograph). SAB20555.

Jan 1 1985 , AAS/GR/85/CT116-117, AAS/GR/85/CT116-117 (Ground Photograph). SAB32659.

Jul 4 1985 , EN 33-7, EN 33-7 (Ground Photograph). SAB13785.

Jul 4 1985 , EO 14-40, EO 14-40 (Ground Photograph). SAB13786.

Jul 12 2014 , AAS-GR-14-07-267 - 291, AAS-GR-14-07-267 - 291 (Ground Photograph). SAB35536.

Jul 17 2008 , DP 047197-212, DP 047197-212 (Ground Photograph). SAB20557.

Mar 5 2003 , E 37895, E 37895 (Ground Photograph). SAB20556.

May 8 2002 , AAS/02/4/CT46, AAS/02/4/CT46 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB17853.

SDD, n.d., BLDS OF ARCH & HIST INTEREST, CLUNY 2,3 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1827.

Sep 17 2022 , AAS-GR-22-09-075 - 086, AAS-GR-22-09-075 - 086 (Ground Photograph). SAB36590.

Record last edited

May 7 2026 11:39AM