Building record MAB7624 - GLENBUCHAT PARISH CHURCH, KIRKTON OF GLENBUCHAT

Parish church of Glenbuchat and associated graveyard, possibly built on the site of the 15th Century St Peter's Church.

Parish church of Glenbuchat and associated graveyard, possibly built on the site of the 15th Century St Peter's Church. The original church was founded in 1473 at Capeltone. The present church was rebuilt in 1629 and again in the 18th Century. The church is small and rectangular, and apart from the bellcote is notably vernacular in appearance, with little ornamentation. The walls are largely rubble-built and have been rendered at a later date. Most of the stonework of the gables and north elevation are 17th Century in date while the south elevation and windows are late 18th Century in date, when the church was last rebuilt. The steeply-pitched roof is slated. The east gable has a large classical bellcote made of ashlar stone and topped with a ball finial. A small bell is hung in the centre of the bellcote. The bellcote was moved from the west gable to the east in the 1850s. The interior has a pulpit at the centre of the south wall, simple fixed pews with box pews tot he north, and manse pew to the east. A later east gallery has a square marbled central column and panelled front with Lord Fife's coat of arms. The surrounding graveyard is rectangular in plan, enclosed by flat-coped, rubble-built walls with pyramid-coped, square-section, ashlar gatepiers flanking a two leaf ironwork gate. The earliest gravestone is dated 1686. Glenbuchat parish Roll of Honour for World War I is housed within the church - there are plaques, one in carved wood the other on paper, along with some portrait photographs. The Roll, which contains the names of the men from the village who gave their lives in World War I was originally in the free church - detailed list held in AAS Digital Archive. Within the churchyard is the Commonwealth war grave of Private P. Dow, Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).

Period Notes
Possibly on site of 15thC St Peter's Church; original church founded 1473; present church rebuilt 1629 &and again in 18th century; stones dated 1686 and 1629; restored 1964. Listed 16/04/1971.

Author unknown, 1799, OLD STATISTICAL ACCOUNT, VOL 19,608 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1845.

ORDNANCE SURVEY, 1871, Ordnance Name Book, No38(1868) 56 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1360.

SIMPSON, WD, 1942, THE BOOK OF GLENBUCHAT, 139-41 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1673.

HAY, G., 1957, THE ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTTISH POST-REF CHURCHES, 79,187,243 (Bibliographic reference). SAB720.

EELES, FC, 1957, THE CHURCH AND OTHER BELLS OF ABERDEENSHIRE PSAS 90 (1956-7) 130-60, p.154 (Bibliographic reference). SAB490.

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

Record last edited

May 4 2024 3:32PM