Document record MAB60486 - BALLUMBIE PARISH CHURCH

Site of a church.

Originally a chapel of Lundie church, it was designated a parish church in 1470. At the time of the Reformation, it appears both as a chapel and a parsonage. The revenues of the church were erected into a prebend of the collegiate church of Foulis Easter before 1538 and so continued.

The remains of the church and associated graveyard were discovered and fully excavated in 2005, prior to their complete removal for construction of housing. The excavation revealed the church to be of simple rectangular plan with a Laird's Aisle attached to the southern side. This contained the remains of at least four burials, one of which was in a mural tomb in the southern wall.

The burials within the church were of many layers and concentrated at the western end. One burial, on an east-west alignment rather than west-east alignment, was of a priest. Underlying the Medieval remains was a previously unknown long cist cemetery. Human remains from one of the cist burials returned a radiocarbon date of 560-660 AD.

The metal finds, all showing corrosion, were assessed for conservation and x-rayed by AOC in August 2005. Nine coins were recovered, probably Medieval, one, possibly two, of silver. Organic remains were found on several items, including the possible remains of a sheath on a possible blade. The vast majority of the iron finds were nails, several with wood adhering. All of the iron objects are mineralised.

Copper alloy finds, all extensively corroded with varying degrees of preservation of the surface area, were represented by coins, various fragments, spoons, tags and buckles, and two tubular bracelets, one with much detail remaining. This also had a small fragment of textile adhering and traces of contact with leather. One of the coins had two twists of mustard coloured thread on one side. See NO43SW0158 for the underlying long cist cemetery.

Period Notes
Radiocarbon date from context 747 - cist below east wall of church (lab no. unknown): 1435 +/-35 BP, 560-660 cal AD (2 stigma).

, (Photograph). SAB24976.

Warden, A J, 1880-5, [Untitled], Vol. 5, 1 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10093.

Cowan, I B, 1967, Scot Rec Soc 93, 13 (Bibliographic reference). SAB11648.

HUNTER, F, 2000, DES, 21 (Bibliographic reference). SAB846.

CLYDESDALE, A, 2005, BALLUMBIE CHURCH 2005. RADIOGRAPHY/FINDS ASSESSMNT (Bibliographic reference). SAB3891.

FINDS ASSESSMENT

WINLOW, S, 2010, TWO NEW DATES FROM TWO OLD INVESTIGATIONS: A RECONSTRUCTION OF THE WOMEN'S KNOWE AND KINGOODIE LONG CIST CEMETERY (Bibliographic reference). SAB3427.

Record last edited

Jun 23 2026 3:28PM