Building record MAB23537 - ST DROSTAN'S CHURCH, OLD ABERDOUR

Graveyard and remains of church.

Graveyard and remains of church. The church is probably 16th century in date, built on an earlier site and incorporating earlier fabric. It was superseded in 1818 when the present parish church was built in New Aberdour (NJ86SE0066). It survives generally to roof height, with the exception of the south aisle which has a modern roof. It is built of red rubble, tooled red sandstone and tooled granite dressings. Now roofless with skewputts at aisle and triangular-headed recess on exterior north wall. The west gable is almost intact with a shallow pointed headed window. The slightly off-centre south aisle was rebuilt in 1764, roofed and closed as a burial vault. The west end of nave is partitioned as burial enclosure with round-headed arch with blocked imposts between nave and south aisle. There are two arched recess monuments on the north wall, the eastern one illegible with two shields, the western one to James Baird of Auchmedden dated AD 1559. St Drostan's Church was mentioned in AD 1178, AD 1318, AD 1577 and AD 1599. The east part of the church is partitioned off with inscription over the southeast doorway reading 'This Sepulchre/was enclosed by/ CHAS- LESLIE, M.P.FRASERBURGH MDCCCXIX'. A font stands in corner, a large octagonal bowl on a pyramidal base, which may be same date as church. Church said to have been founded by St Drostan in circa AD 590. A church bellcote is said to have been erected in 1771 and reused on the present parish church at New Aberdour. Listing description includes burial ground which has a rubble wall containing 18th and 19th century and subsequent tombstones. The original listing description also refers to a pair of simple gatepiers with shallow pyramidal caps closed by a pair of AD 1874 cast-iron carriage gates. However these cast iron gates have since been replaced by modern steel ones. Within the graveyard there are five First World War Commonwealth war graves. Also within the graveyard is the grave of William Shand (died 1712), a distant ancestor of Queen Camilla.

Period Notes
Said to have been founded circa AD 590; mentioned in AD 1178, AD 1318, AD 1557 and AD 1599. The existing ruins are early 16th century. Church bellcote said to have been erected in AD 1771 and possibly replaced a stumpy spire (though no mural base survives) or even a free standing belfry. Bellcote reused on present parish church, New Aberdour, built in AD 1818.

AAS/GR/XX/CT05-07, AAS/GR/XX/CT05-07 (Ground Photograph). SAB33155.

PRATT, J. B., 1858, BUCHAN: A TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION, 191 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1410.

JERVISE, A, 1879, EPITAPHS & INSCRIPTIONS,VOL 2, 55 (Bibliographic reference). SAB889.

MACGIBBON, T, 1896, ECCLESIASTICAL ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND 1, 535, PLAN (Bibliographic reference). SAB1141.

BERTIE, D. M., 2007, THE ARMS OF BAIRD OF AUCHMEDDEN. IN: THE DOUBLE TRESSURE 29 (2007), pp.40-46 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3744.

HARPER AND ALLAN MASONRY, 2022, ST DROSTANS, OLD ABERDOUR KIRK CONDITION REPORT (Bibliographic reference). SAB5991.

Apr 3 1981 , PR 10'S, PR 10'S (Ground Photograph). SAB14678.

Jan 1 1998 , AAS/GR/98/CT398-399, AAS/GR/98/CT398-399 (Ground Photograph). SAB33099.

Jul 2 1996 , AAS/96/06/CT25, AAS/96/06/CT25 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16410.

Jul 2 1996 , AAS/96/06/G18/13-5, AAS/96/06/G18/13-5 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16409.

Jul 30 2010 , DG2070-98, 2104, DG2070-98, 2104 (Ground Photograph). SAB13121.

Mar 25 1981 , PR 10'S, PR 10'S (Ground Photograph). SAB14679.

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

Sep 1 1990 , KR 24-25, KR 24-25 (Ground Photograph). SAB33836.

Record last edited

Mar 24 2026 10:51AM