Building record MAB8187 - MORTLACH PARISH CHURCH

Parish church and graveyard.

Parish church and graveyard. The church is one of the earliest sites of Christian activity in the North East of Scotland. It is said to have been the site of a monastery, founded by St Moluag of Bangor, Ireland in circa 566. A church is said to have been on the site in 1010, when Malcolm II extended it as a thanksgiving to God for success in a battle. Malcolm II is then said to have created Mortlach a Bishopric, which David I then moved to Aberdeen in 1124. The charters that document this early stage in the life of the church cannot be uncritically trusted, however there is certainly a tradition of important early Christian activity associated with this area, and most probably this site. The church has since gone under many changes, having gone from medieval to Georgian in style, and then reverted back to a medieval style most recently. The rectangular core of the church probably reflects the 13th century plan. It was re-roofed in 1707, and in 1826 the north aisle was added. Much of the present church was then built in 1849-50.The north aisle then extended by A. Marshall Mackenzie in 1879, and the triplet of lancets in the east gable re-exposed. In 1891-2, James Souttar added the west aisle with a stained glass window by Gordon and Watt, Aberdeen. He also added the square tower in the re-entrant angle. In 1930-1, the church was restored and re-cast by A. Marshall Mackenzie and Son, bringing the style of the church back to its medieval roots. The church as it is now is a T-plan church, which is harled, with a rubble north return gable and tooled ashlar dressings. There is a substantial north wing, with two later 19th century pointed-headed entrances linked by a continuous hoodmould. There is a large pointed-headed tripartite window under a hoodmould in the north gable, with a less ornate tripartite window in the south gable under an oculus. The east gable is lit by three re-worked medieval lancets and there is a similar single lancet in the eastern bay of long south facing elevation. There is a centre projecting shallow gabled bay in the south elevation that is flanked by paired square-lintelled late 18th century windows, each window with two mullioned lights and shutter hooks embedded in the margins. Gabled dormer windows light the rear gallery, and varied glazing is used. There are slate roofs, with skewputts from circa 1700 to the main portion of church. There is a rear forestair to the organ loft, and a canted minister's porch in the northeast re-entrant angle, from 1930-1. There is a bellcote with a cross finial on the apex of the north gable. Inside, the entrance lobby in the north wing houses a collection of 16th and 17th century tombstones, and also a Celtic cross. The main body of the church was re-modelled in 1930-1. It is orientated to the raised chancel at the east, with a 1931 pulpit and communion table. There is a recumbent knight of circa 1550, which is an effigy of Alexander Leslie of Kininvie of Kinivie House (NJ34SW0003). It was moved into a segmental mural recess in the north wall, constructed in 1876. There is also a substantial 1694 mural monument by J. Faid of Elgin at the south, with an armorial, inscription and two sculptured busts. It is dedicated to Alexander Duff of Keithmore and Helen Grant his wife, whose tombstones are in the lobby. The inscription records a happy marriage of 40 years, and 'a flourishing family of liberally educated children'. A recessed war memorial chapel is in the centre of the South wall in the former organ bay. The north and west galleries have plain panelled fronts, and organ houses in the west gallery. There is some stained glass, including a circa 1918 memorial window in the east gable by Douglas Strachan. There are also various 19th century mural tablets. There is a small, square, harl-pointed watch house with a canted west front. The centre door has flanking pointed-headed windows, a tall rear renewed stack and a piended local slate roof. The graveyard to the south of the church is a large irregular shaped walled burial ground, sloping to the south and east to the valley bottom. It is enclosed by coped rubble walls, with spear-head railings around half way along the wall fronting the road. There are two entrances to the west side of the graveyard, one to the north and one to the south. The northern entrance is flanked by a pair of square ashlar capped gatepiers, supporting an ornate gate. The southern entrance is flanked by a pair of similar gatepiers with pyramidal caps, and supporting a pair of more simple gates. There is a third entrance to the east of the graveyard with capped gatepiers supporting a gate, leading to the modern graveyard across Dullan Water to the east. There are 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th century tombstones and a Class II Pictish stone (NJ33NW0006) in the graveyard, which is known as the Battle Stone, and is said to be associated with Malcolm II's victorious battle of 1010. The former manse, built in 1844, sits to the north. Graveyard recording carried out in 2021. A watching brief was carried out in 2023 by Colin Shepherd during groundworks for the erection of two information panels in the grounds of Mortlach Church. Four holes were dug approximately 200 mm square by approximately 300 mm deep. Only possible remains of a later hardcore track running through the graveyard and possible foundation stones relating to later concrete steps were encountered, with no features, deposits or artefacts of archaeological significance identified.

Period Notes
Monastery built in circa 566. Church is extended in 1010, and is a rectangular plan church by the 13th century. There is an effigy from circa 1550, and a mural monument from 1694. It was re-roofed in 1707, The North aisle added in 1826 and the church as it is now was mainly built in 1849-50. The North aisle was extended in 1876, and in 1891-2 the West aisle is added, as is a stained glass window and the square tower. There is further stained glass from circa 1918. The church is restored and re-cast in 1930-1. Listed designation was given on 22/02/1972, and it was changed from a B listing to an A listing on 09/11/1987.

GR/01/CT399, 400, GR/01/CT399, 400 (Ground Photograph). SAB36964.

GR/03/AG/024/1-2/WM, GR/03/AG/024/1-2/WM (Ground Photograph). SAB32030.

Img 240-242, Img 240-242 (Ground Photograph). SAB36062.

Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 22/01/83 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.

JERVISE, A, 1879, EPITAPHS & INSCRIPTIONS,VOL 2, 326-334 (Bibliographic reference). SAB889.

MACGIBBON, T, 1896, ECCLESIASTICAL ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND 1, 408-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1141.

HOWAT, AJ, 1901, CHURCHES IN MORAY, 38 (Bibliographic reference). SAB729.

EASSON, D, 1957, MEDIEVAL RELIGIOUS HOUSES: SCOTLAND, 167-195 (Bibliographic reference). SAB440.

MCKEAN, C, 1987, MORAY: AN ILLUSTRATED ARCHITECTURAL GUIDE, P.148 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1142.

SHEPHERD, I, 1996, ABERDEEN AND NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND (2ND ED), p. 127 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4829.

MORAY BURIAL GROUND RESEARCH GROUP, 2003, NEWSLETTER, Issue 18 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5098.

MORAY BURIAL GROUND RESEARCH GROUP, 2003, NEWSLETTER, Issue 19, p 6-7 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5098.

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

SHEPHERD, C, 2023, MORTLACH CHURCH INFORMATION BOARDS, DUFFTOWN: WATCHING BRIEF REPORT FOR DUFFTOWN & MORTLACH DEVELOPMENT TRUST LTD., Watching Brief Report (Bibliographic reference). SAB4863.

Aug 15 1984 , BW 8-10a, BW 8-10a (Ground Photograph). SAB30602.

Jan 1 1986 , AAS/GR/86/CT213, AAS/GR/86/CT213 (Ground Photograph). SAB32690.

Jul 18 2013 , AAS-GR-13-07-291 - 314, AAS-GR-13-07-291 - 314 (Ground Photograph). SAB35215.

Mar 4 2008 , AAS-GR-08-03-022, AAS-GR-08-03-022 (Ground Photograph). SAB36138.

Oct 16 1984 , DS 29-36, DS 29-36 (Ground Photograph). SAB33314.

Oct 16 1984 , DS 29-36, DS 29-36 (Ground Photograph). SAB30604.

Oct 16 1984 , DU 15-21, DU 15-21 (Ground Photograph). SAB30603.

Sep 14 1989 , JJ 9-12, JJ 9-12 (Ground Photograph). SAB33722.

Sep 27 2003 , AAS-GR-03-09-001 - 008, AAS-GR-03-09-001 - 008 (Ground Photograph). SAB35682.

Record last edited

Sep 5 2025 12:28PM