Building record MAB15832 - ST DROSTAN'S CHURCH, INSCH

The remains of Insch Old Church, also known as St Drostan's, stand in a graveyard at the east end of the market town of Insch.

The remains of Insch Old Church, also known as St Drostan's, stand in a graveyard at the east end of the market town of Insch. A church here was gifted to Lindores Abbey in the late 12th century and a number of rebuilds on the site have occurred. The latest church was built in the 18th century and repaired in the 1790s. However, it was declared unsafe in 1830 and a new church was built to replace it in the 1880s. Only the west gable of the church survives. It is built in granite with a central rectangular doorway with ashlar surrounds on the west face. On the apex of the gable is a substantial rubble base, upon which is built a bellcote dating from 1613. It has an ashlar base and the bellcote itself is elaborate, with fine ashlar stonework incorporating carved uprights and finials, dog-tooth detailing and scroll moulding. Two medieval grave monuments have been positioned at the foot of the west face of the gable. One is a slab of red sandstone, known as the Radulfus stone, thought to commemorate Radulfus (Radulphus, Radulph, Ralph), chaplain of the Bishop of Aberdeen between 1172 and 1194. The stone is decorated with a deeply incised wedge-armed cross in a circle at the bottom left and a single line inscription which reads ‘ORATE PRO ANIMA RADULFI SACERDOTIS’ (Pray for the soul of the priest Radulfus). To the left of this is a badly eroded half figure statue, the head and torso of the effigy of a knight. This stone is thought to date to the 13th – 14th century. Although the detail of the face is now lost, details of the knight’s costume are still visible. The churchyard is a rubble walled enclosure, built of pinned rubble with gatepiers to the street. The graveyard contains the First World War Commonwealth war grave of Private Peter Beattie, Gordon Highlanders.

Period Notes
Mentioned 12th century and in 1574; gravestone dated 1600; belfry dated 1613; renovated late 18th century. Listed 16/04/1971.

Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 25/11/61 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.

RADULFUS STONE

ORDNANCE SURVEY, 1871, Ordnance Name Book, No41(1867) 68 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1360.

JERVISE, A, 1879, EPITAPHS & INSCRIPTIONS,VOL 2, 20 (Bibliographic reference). SAB889.

RADULFUS STONE

MACGIBBON, T, 1896, ECCLESIASTICAL ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND 1, VOL 3, 575-6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1141.

RADULFUS STONE

SCOTT, H., 1915-2000, FASTI ECCLESIAE SCOTICANAE, 158 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1621.

RADULFUS STONE

SIMPSON, WD, 1943, PROVINCE OF MAR, 130 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1676.

RADULFUS STONE

SIMPSON, WD, 1949, EARLDOM OF MAR, 13 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1681.

RADULFUS STONE

HAY, G., 1957, THE ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTTISH POST-REF CHURCHES, 168,242 (Bibliographic reference). SAB720.

RADULFUS STONE

HISTORIC SCOTLAND, 1996, INSCH OLD CHURCHYARD KNIGHT EFFIGY, INSCRIBED TOMBSTONE AND BELLCOTE: CONDITION REPORT, Condition report (Bibliographic reference). SAB4407.

HISTORIC SCOTLAND, 2002, OLD PARISH CHURCH, INSCH, GRAMPIAN REGION, GORDON DISTRICT; ADVISORY REPORT , Advisory report (Bibliographic reference). SAB4406.

HUNTER, L., 2003, CONDITION REPORT, REPAIR PROPOSAL ST. DROSTAN'S (Bibliographic reference). SAB2693.

Aug 30 2006 , AAS/06/3/DG643-4, AAS/06/3/DG643-4 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18774.

Jan 26 2018 , AAS-GR-18-01-022 t- 025, AAS-GR-18-01-022 t- 025 (Ground Photograph). SAB35484.

Jul 7 2006 , AAS-GR-06-07-165 - 176, AAS-GR-06-07-165 - 176 (Ground Photograph). SAB35747.

Jun 18 2008 , DG0212-19, DG0212-19 (Ground Photograph). SAB19469.

SDD, n.d., BLDS OF ARCH & HIST INTEREST, INSCH 1 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1827.

RADULFUS STONE

Author unknown, n.d., NSA, No12(1845) 758 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1269.

RADULFUS STONE

Nov 25 2013 , UNK-GR-14-01-005, UNK-GR-14-01-005 (Ground Photograph). SAB13528.

Sep 13 1984 , DC 10-11, DC 10-11 (Ground Photograph). SAB13797.

Sep 30 1984 , DF 2-3, DF 2-3 (Ground Photograph). SAB13798.

Record last edited

May 26 2025 3:48PM