Building record MAB38366 - ST VIGEAN'S PARISH CHURCH

Parish church, still in ecclesiastical use, and graveyard.

Parish church, still in ecclesiastical use, and graveyard. St Vigean's Church occupies nearly the whole of the summit of a regularly shaped mound, which has been a site of religious settlement from a very early period. This is shown by a very important group of Pictish carved stones and cross slabs found on this site, now kept in a museum to the North (NO64SW0003), as well as a number of Norman stones. The church was consecrated in 1242 by Bishop de Bernham. The original date of the church is probably from the early 12th century, at which time it was likely a simple rectangular plan with no aisles. Parts of the East and West gable walls from this period still remain. There were various 15th century additions and alterations. Probably in the early 15th century, the church was extended to the South, and was converted into a building with a nave and a North aisle. After this the tower on the West gable of the nave was constructed. The church was extended again in 1495, when the South wall was taken down and a South aisle erected. The church was also re-consecrated after these additions. After the Reformation, there were internal changes, and a gallery was constructed in the North aisle and the West end of the nave. In 1770, a gallery was also built to the East. In 1802, the side walls of the North and South aisles were rebuilt. There were further alterations in 1822 and 1827. In 1871-2, considerable additions and alterations were undertaken by Sir Robert Rowand Anderson, including the construction of a large apse to the East, a second North aisle, and the raising of the tower, as well as various restorations and repairs. This work was undertaken for the minister of the church at the time, William Duke, who wanted to the church to be restored to its medieval style. The appearance of the church today mostly dates from this 1871-2 building phase. The church is now made up of a central nave, with aisles to the North and South and an outer aisle to the North. There is a tower to the West and an apse to the East. The church is constructed using local red sandstone, mostly as snecked rubble. There are stepped buttresses to the apse, and three Gothic Y-traceried windows. The outer North aisle has 2-light Y-traceried windows in the gables, and three rectangular 2-light windows in the North facing elevation and one similar window in the Western bay of the inner North aisle. The clerestory windows on the central Nave are rectangular to the North, and segmental arched to the South. There are doors in the West bays of both the North and South aisles, and there is a sundial over the door to the South aisle. The tower covers the South half of the West gable of the nave. There is a round-arched door in the West face of the tower. At the second stage, above the entrance, are slit windows on each face, and a blocked rectangular opening to the East of the slit window on the North face. The upper part of the tower has chamfered rectangular windows to the North and South, and above these are pointed belfry openings in each face. The tower has a corbelled parapet, with projecting stone spouts, and is topped by a crow-stepped caphouse. In the inner angle of the tower and the South aisle is a stair turret, added in 1871-2. It is a square tower at the lower stages, with an octagonal upper stage and stone slabbed spire. There are five stained glass windows in the chancel, at the East of the church. There are various mural memorials within the church, including a marble tablet to George W Muir (who died while a prisoner of war in 1945) and John Muir who was killed in action in the First World War. Also within the church are First and Second World War memorial plaques from Inverbrothock Church (NO64SW0157). Surrounding the church, and enclosed by a retaining rubble wall at the base of the mound, is a graveyard, which includes the St Vigeans War Memorial (NO64SW0208). In 2007, masonry was removed by HS from above and below a stone in the church wall thought to be the remains of a cross slab. On removal on the surrounding material, the stone proved not to be a cross slab but recumbent stone with a well formed socket. Another decorated carved stone was found opposite the socket. Following the recording of the stone is was left in situ and the removed surrounding stonework was reinstated. A watching brief was carried out by Scotia in October 2008 during the upgrade of existing drainage around the perimeter of the church. With the exception of the foundations of the 19th century north aisle, no structures or features of archaeological significance were exposed during these investigations. Although no graves were uncovered, the presence of several disarticulated bones indicated that there had been burials within the area of investigation. The installation of drains during the 19th century and later had clearly disturbed some human remains but, on the evidence of pre-modern deposits to the North of the church, burial practice also accounted for the dispersal of human remains, at least in that part of the site. See NO64SW0629 for watching brief 2022-2023 which included part of the churchyard.

Period Notes
The site has been a religious centre for a long period, as shown by a number of Pictish carved stones. The church itself was probably built in the early-12th century, and consecrated in 1242. There were various 15th century additions and alterations, followed by a re-consecration following the work done in 1495. There were post-Reformation changes to the interior, and again in 1770. There were alterations in 1802, 1822 and 1827. In 1871-2, there were major additions, alterations and restoration work. The church and the graveyard walls were both listed on 11/06/1971.

Carr, R, 1870, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 7, 11-23 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5714.

Duke, W, 1873, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10431.

Allen, J R, 1903, The early Christian monuments of Scotland, 234-42 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4923.

Duke, W, 1905, Trans Edinburgh Architect Ass 3 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10345.

Diack, F C, 1944, The inscriptions of Pictland, 75-6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11752.

Cowan, I B, 1967, Scot Rec Soc 93, 178-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11666.

Coutts, H, 1970, Ancient monuments of Tayside, 66, N031 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11153.

MacKie, E W, 1975, Scotland an archaeological guide, 186-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB6338.

Feachem, R, 1977, Guide to prehistoric Scotland, 195 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11728.

Jackson, A, 1984, [Untitled] (Bibliographic reference). SAB11909.

Adams, D G, 1984, Celtic and mediaeval religious houses in Angus, 11/12 (Bibliographic reference). SAB7745.

Clancy, T O, 1993, Proc Soc Antiq Scot 123, 345-53 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11437.

Mack, A, 1997, Field guide to the Pictish symbol stones, 69-70 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11553.

SCOTIA ARCHAEOLOGY, 2008, ST VIGEANS ARBROATH: WATCHING BRIEF, WB report (Bibliographic reference). SAB4777.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2009, DISCOVERY & EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, VOL 9, 2008, p.29 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3496.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2022, ST VIGEANS CHURCH AND HALL, ARBROATH: WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION (Bibliographic reference). SAB8259.

Feb 12 2008 , AAS/08/1/DG4-42, AAS/08/1/DG4-42 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB21215.

Jun 14 2018 , AAS-GR-18-06-045, AAS-GR-18-06-045 (Ground Photograph). SAB35622.

Sep 4 2016 , AAS-GR-16-09-118 - 187, AAS-GR-16-09-118 - 187 (Ground Photograph). SAB35451.

Sep 15 2000 , AAS/00/13/CT127-32, AAS/00/13/CT127-32 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB29384.

Sep 15 2000 , AAS/00/13/G33/8-11, AAS/00/13/G33/8-11 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB29385.

Record last edited

Oct 31 2025 2:30PM