Building record MAB8083 - CABRACH PARISH CHURCH

Church, and graveyard, 1786.

Church, and graveyard, 1786. The original church (‘kirk’) stood near to Kirktown (to the east, NJ32NE0034) and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It was replaced in circa 1580 by a new church, that was built on the site of the present church. The current building is dated to 1786, which can be seen on the left skewputt, and is built on the site of the church that replaced the original kirk. It is a simple rectangular church with symmetrical 4 bay south elevation, and an entrance in the west gable. It is constructed of roughly harled rubble with tooled rubble and ashlar dressings. There are 4 square headed windows in the south front, with 12 pane glazing used and hinges for shutters. There is a double-leaf plank door at the west, with a gallery window above. The bellcote is at the east gable apex, with a shaped cap and ball finial. The roof is covered in Banffshire slate with a stone ridge. There is a later single bay Minister's room at the east gable. The interior is plain and was re-cast circa 1900. There is a gallery at the west of the church. There is a panelled pulpit with neo-Jacobean detailing reached by a short flight of stairs with turned balusters to the handrail. It has a moulded surround with painted text. The pulpit fronts a semi-circular alcove, which is probably replacing a former doorway to the east. A mural memorial dated 1771 is present, having been re-set from the earlier church, and there is a further 1817 memorial. The 1771 mural is inscribed 'Before this Stone lyes Elizabeth Grant late Spouse to Mr James Gordon Minr. here who died March 2 1771 Aged 46 years and her Two Sons Viz George and John Gordons'. A painted coat of arms heads the plaque. A simple late-18th century delicate plaster motif is situated in the centre of the ceiling, surrounding a lamphook. Rubble walls enclose a burial ground. There are tooled ashlar piers with shaped caps and a ball finial that flank the carriage entrance. There are similar piers at the pedestrian entrance. There are good 18th and 19th century local slate tombstones, and one Commonwealth War Grave. A war memorial, in the form of a plaque inside the church, commemorates those of the Cabrach who fell in World War I and II. A full transcription of the memorial is held in the AAS Digital Archive. The manse, built in 1801-2, is situated to the north (NJ32NE0033). Graveyard recording was carried out in 2021 by T Small. A watching brief was carried out by Cameron Archaeology in July 2022 during groundbreaking works for new access through the churchyard. Prior to the monitoring a trench had been dug external to the churchyard wall for plastic ducts, and a boiler had been removed from outside the vestry wall. Excavation of two further trenches was monitored, and within the trench within the eastern edge of the churchyard two small fragments of disarticulated bone were found (and subsequently reburied). No other finds or archaeological features were observed.

Period Notes
The present church was built in 1786 on the site of an earlier church built in 1580. It was re-cast in circa 1900. There is a mural memorial dated to 1771, and a memorial dated to 1817. It was designated on 22/02/1972.

HOWAT, AJ, 1901, CHURCHES IN MORAY, 10 (Bibliographic reference). SAB729.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2022, CABRACH PARISH CHURCH, CABRACH, HUNTLY: WATCHING BRIEF REPORT, WB report (Bibliographic reference). SAB8889.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2022, CABRACH PARISH CHURCH, CABRACH, HUNTLY: WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB8927.

SMALL, T, 2022, THE ILLUSTRATIVE PROCESS OF DOCUMENTING MORTLACH AND CABRACH BURIAL GROUNDS. IN SGCIFA NEWSLETTER SPRING 2022 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4854.

Author unknown, n.d., THE NORTHERN SCOT, 03/06/16 p.30 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1270.

Author unknown, n.d., THE NORTHERN SCOT, 05/06/15 p.30 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1270.

Record last edited

Jul 10 2025 2:05PM