Building record MAB6623 - URQUHART PARISH CHURCH

Former Parish Church, built in 1842-3 costing £2000, and converted to a dwelling in the 1990s.

Former Parish Church, built in 1842-3 costing £2000, and converted to a dwelling in the 1990s. When it was sold by the Trustees of the Church of Scotland in the 1990s, the new owner changed the name to Parrandier. It was designed to be of an ornamental character, being intended to be erected on an eminence which is seen from Innes House. The design, in the style of Gillespie Graham, is attributed to Alexander Reid. However, he had inherited the architectural practice from his uncle, William Robertson, a year before, so it is probably Robertson's design. It is unusually orientated North/South, and it stands on high ground, known as Gas Hill, on a site selected by the Earl of Fife. The church was built to replace an earlier building sited by the present burial ground in village (NJ26SE0100), and is visible from Innes House (NJ26NE0001), property of the principal Heritor the Earl of Fife. It is a Gothic church, with 6-bay buttressed long East and West elevations. It is harled, with extensive use of tooled ashlar. The gabled South entrance front has an engaged 3-stage square tower with angle buttresses, a crenellated wallhead and angle pinnacles, and it was reduced in height in 1953. There is a hoodmoulded round-headed entrance in the base of the tower, with cusped panelled double leaf doors. There is a tall window above the entrance with a decorated hoodmould. There are round-arched louvred belfry openings in upper stage of tower. Long Gothic pointed-headed traceried windows flank the tower in the South gable, and there is similar fenestration in the East and West buttressed elevations, with a blind window in each end bay. Lattice-pane glazing is used. There are stepped angle buttresses at each corner terminating at the pinnacle, wallhead parapets, an apex cross at the North gable and a slate roof. A small lanceted chancel and lean-to vestry at the North gable was added, along with a reconstruction of the interior, by J. Alistair Ross in 1931. Prior to the conversion to a dwelling, the interior detail included a panelled South gallery, 1931 pews and pulpit, an open timber roof which replaced an earlier plaster ceiling, and a 1751 mural monument to the Rev Robert Tod from the earlier church.

Period Notes
Foundation stone laid 9 April 1842, finished 1843; 1931 reconstruction; contains skull and crossbones monument dated 1751. Designated on 20/08/1981.

HOWAT, AJ, 1901, CHURCHES IN MORAY, 50 (Bibliographic reference). SAB729.

GROOME, A, 1901, ORDNANCE GAZETEER OF SCOTLAND, 471 (1885) (Bibliographic reference). SAB606.

MCKEAN, C, 1987, MORAY: AN ILLUSTRATED ARCHITECTURAL GUIDE, p.108 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1142.

Author unknown, n.d., ELGIN COURANT, 06/11/31 (Bibliographic reference). SAB444.

Author unknown, n.d., NSA, VXIII, 49 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1269.

Record last edited

Apr 3 2024 1:31PM