Building record MAB36679 - ABERLEMNO PARISH CHURCH

Parish church, still in ecclesiastical use, and a graveyard.

Parish church, still in ecclesiastical use, and a graveyard. The present building was mostly rebuilt in either 1722 (HES, Trove, and scottishchurches.org.uk) or 1799 (John Gifford 2012, 287) to a design by Samuel Bell on the site of its predecessor, which was dedicated in 1242. It is possible the church on this site was originally called Egglespether, and was a Pictish church from circa 710, although this is debated. By 1230, a church known as Aberlemno is documented. The 1722 rebuild may incorporate elements of the earlier building, although again this is debated.

The present church was remodelled in 1856 by James Maclaren, and there is a 1980s extension. It is a rectangular church oriented east-west with an aisle on the north elevation forming a T-plan. The 1856 remodelling heightened the walls and Gothic windows were inserted. The angles to the northeast and northwest were filled in 1856, with the building in the northeast angle extended in the 1980s. The north gable has a high, central, triple, traceried Gothic window, with thick stone mullions, and there are twinned rectangular windows below. There is a platform at the gable apex, which may originally have supported a finial or weathervane. The porch filling the northwest angle has not changed in plan since the 1st edition OS map and has a door on the west elevation and a rectangular window on the north elevation.

The northeast angle is shown as being filled by a small rectangular building on the 1st edition OS map. On the 2nd edition OS map, it is extended to the north beyond the north end of the aisle. This building was rebuilt in the 1980s and now extends the full length of the eastern section of the north elevation of the church and wraps around part of the north end of the aisle. There is a door on the west elevation and rectangular windows to the north and east. Both buildings are constructed from rubble, similar to the 18th Century building, and have similar slate roofs.

The west gable has a triple Gothic window and the rectangular windows below that are the same as those on the north gable. There is an open sandstone ashlar bellcote with a stone spire to the gable apex. The bell was cast in 1728 by Robert Maxwell, Edinburgh, and has an external bell pull. There are four evenly spaced Gothic twin traceried windows with thick mullions, in a similar style to those on the north and west gable ends. The east gable end has the same window designs as seen on the north and west gables. There is a stone cross finial to the gable apex, and the northern end of this elevation was extended as a part of the 1980s extension.

Inside, the pulpit and communion table are on the sanctuary on the south wall, and plain pews fill the rest of the church, facing the sanctuary. The pulpit has a carved arcade and quatrefoil inserts, with carved decorations to the panelled front of the communion table. There is a wooden font to the east of the communion table, and a Medieval stone font originally from Aldbar Chapel (MAB36602), and moved inside from the graveyard in 1992. There is a gallery to the east, north, and west with a plain panelled front, which is supported by iron columns. The plain pews are painted purple. There is an inset armorial stone dated '1(6)04' from Melgund Castle (MAB36677).

On the west wall is a round headed war memorial plaque, with a Celtic cross head in light relief, and lists of those killed during the First World War. A smaller rectangular plaque immediately below these records losses in the Second World War. A full transcription of the memorial is held in the AAS Digital Archive.

The graveyard surrounds the church and is enclosed with rubble walls that average 6 feet (1.8 metres) high. There are early-19th Century ashlar gate piers with pyramidal caps to the northwest entrance. The manse entrance to the east has 18th Century gate piers. Within the churchyard stands a Class II Pictish symbol stone (MAB36678).

GR/05/AG/032/23-28/WM, GR/05/AG/032/23-28/WM (Ground Photograph). SAB27272.

NSA, 1845, [Untitled], Vol. 11, (Forfar), 634 (Bibliographic reference). SAB6265.

Warden, A J, 1880-5, [Untitled], Vol. 2, 188, 290 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10154.

Cowan, I B, 1967, Scot Rec Soc 93, 3 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11657.

RCAHMS, 1984, [Untitled], 7, No. 1 (Bibliographic reference). SAB9385.

Apr 16 2016 , AAS-GR-16-04-001, 002, AAS-GR-16-04-001, 002 (Ground Photograph). SAB32298.

Aug 4 2014 , AAS-GR-14-08-315 - 380, AAS-GR-14-08-315 - 380 (Ground Photograph). SAB35537.

Jun 14 2018 , AAS-GR-18-06-046 - 057, AAS-GR-18-06-046 - 057 (Ground Photograph). SAB35637.

Record last edited

Oct 1 2026 9:10AM