Building record MAB17253 - ST MARY'S CHURCH, BANFF

Remains of St Mary's Parish Church, the old church of Banff, rebuilt 1471 and demolished in 1797, and associated graveyard.

Remains of St Mary's Parish Church, the old church of Banff, rebuilt 1471 and demolished in 1797, and associated graveyard. All that remains of the church are part of the north wall, and the so-called 'South' or 'Banff' Aisle, the burial vault of the Ogilvies containing 16th Century graves, which is roofed with a pointed vault and features a stone-mullioned window. The graveyard is now disused, however a map regression exercise has indicated the graveyard may have originally been at least twice its present size (as is indicated on an 18th Century Seafield Estates map). Mahood, in his 1919 publication 'Banff and District', suggests that the graveyard is home to thousands of burials. The principal 16th Century grave is a wall tomb with flanking clustered columns and relief inscription (in Latin) to Walter Ogilvie dated 1558. There is also a wall plaque (relief) to George Ogilvie dated 1580. There is a fine recumbent figure tomb in the graveyard as well as many good table gravestones with fine series of relief carvings, a pyramidal tomb with white marble panels carried in relief, and some fine wall-tombs, in particular the wall-tomb to the Bairds of Auchmedden. The general ground level of the graveyard appears to have been raised, as evidenced by the truncated doorway into the 'South Aisle'. The aisle was reharled and the roof repaired in 2003. During the restoration of the Ogilvie Aisle a watching brief and limited archaeological excavation was undertaken by MAS to lower the ground level both inside and outside. No archaeological features or finds were evident in the exterior areas, but reduction of the 20th century floor within the aisle revealed the lowest detail of the Ogilvie tomb. The interior ground level was made up from late 18th century landscaping of the surrounding graveyard. The fill contained small amounts of disarticulated human bone and a single coin - a copper turner or twopence of Charles I (1642-50). Transcriptions of all of the gravestones can be found in W. Cramond's 1893 publication 'The Annals of Banff, Volume 2'. The graveyard is enclosed by a low stone-rubble surmounted by cast-iron spearhead railings.

Period Notes
On site of medieval church; most recent church from 16th C; Banff Aisle 16th C; demolished 1797.

AAS/GR/XX/CT08-11, AAS/GR/XX/CT08-11 (Ground Photograph). SAB33156.

GR/99/CT321 - 323, GR/99/CT321 - 323 (Ground Photograph). SAB37204.

Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 7/1/03 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.

ORDNANCE SURVEY, 1871, Ordnance Name Book, No3(1867) 44 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1360.

RAMSAY, A, 1886, PSAS 20(1885-6) 356-7, 356-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1556.

CRAMOND, W, 1891, ANNALS OF BANFF (Bibliographic reference). SAB244.

MAHOOD, AE, 1919, BANFF & DISTRICT (Bibliographic reference). SAB1149.

McKEAN, C, 1990, BANFF & BUCHAN: ILLUSTRATED ARCHITECTURAL GUIDE, p.31 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4622.

STRONACH, S, 2002, Castle Hill and Deveronside. DES 2001, p8-9, p9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3351.

EVALUATION

MURRAY, J.C., 2003, BANFF AISLE, ST MARY'S KIRKYARD, BANFF (Bibliographic reference). SAB2900.

EVALUATION

Apr 2 2015 , AAS-GR-15-04-202, AAS-GR-15-04-202 (Ground Photograph). SAB35552.

Apr 10 2003 , AAS-GR-03-04-001 - g036, AAS-GR-03-04-001 - g036 (Ground Photograph). SAB36148.

Apr 17 1985 , EG 7-15, EG 7-15 (Ground Photograph). SAB13981.

Jan 1 1977 , AAS/GR/77/CT122, 133, 139, AAS/GR/77/CT122, 133, 139 (Ground Photograph). SAB32501.

Jul 12 2010 , AAS-10-3 DG1888-90, AAS-10-3 DG1888-90 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB13333.

Jul 20 2004 , AAS-GR-04-07-023 - 030, AAS-GR-04-07-023 - 030 (Ground Photograph). SAB35721.

May 20 1986 , FU 1, FU 1 (Ground Photograph). SAB13982.

ABERDEENSHIRE COUNCIL, n.d., ABERDEENSHIRE'S HISTORIC KIRKYARDS: ST MARY'S KIRKYARD, BANFF, Leaflet (Bibliographic reference). SAB5531.

JAMES A STEPHEN, ARCHITECTS, n.d., BANFF RENAISSANCE TOWNSCAPE HERITAGE INITIATIVE STAGE 2, THI (Bibliographic reference). SAB928.

Record last edited

Aug 6 2025 3:43PM