Church Overview

St Mary’s is one of only four churches in Scotland built by Sir Ninian Comper and the only one of these where the celebrated architect’s complete vision for his design was fully realised. It was built in 1903 to replace a church of 1795-97 which had been destroyed by fire the previous year. Situated in the heart of Kirriemuir, famous for its textiles and as the birthplace of the author J M Barrie, whose funeral was held in the church, it is the only A-listed building in the historic Angus town.

Consisting of a nave and chancel with a solid square tower at its west end, built of local red sandstone with a slate roof, the church initially looks sturdy and robust, but a second glance shows it to be a finely detailed and entrancing mix of Gothic and Arts & Crafts styles, with its own distinctive Scottish Revival flair.

Its high-quality furnishings are all by Comper, including the altar, pulpit font and pews. The stained glass windows are mostly the work of Comper too (identifiable by a small signature strawberry motif he regularly used) except one that is by the eminent Scottish stained glass artist William Wilson. One of the windows is a memorial to Comper’s father, another is dedicated to J M Barrie’s family. The church also possesses a very significant Grade 1 pipe organ, by the Edinburgh firm of organ builders C & F Hamilton, that was installed in 1906, and a Sanctus bell of 1741.

The building was substantially restored in 2017-18 with a major grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Environment Scotland and financial support from bequests and smaller funders, such as our own small grant scheme.

Services

Sunday mornings at 9.45am

Opening Arrangements

Sundays at 11.30am (after the service) or otherwise by arrangement in advance with the rector

Disclaimer

The information about churches in Scotland’s Churches Scheme has been provided by the congregations or taken from the Historic Scotland list and published sources, in particular, the Buildings of Scotland volumes and the RIAS Illustrated Architectural Guides. To contact this specific church please complete the Contact this Church form above. The information is not authoritative; please contact Scotland’s Churches Trust to let us know of any errors or omissions.