Church Overview

Legend has it that the first wooden church to be founded and and dedicated to St Bride of Kildare on this site was by Nechan, King of the Picts around 457AD, the first stone church is said to have been built here by Gartnaidh, King of the Picts around 590AD. After the Reformation in 1560 the church remained for a time in the care of the Superintendent of St Andrew’s until a minister of the new Presbyterian religion was eventually appointed.

In 1733, during the First Secession, the minister at Abernethy, the Rev Alexander Moncrieff, seceded from the Church of Scotland along with three of his neighbouring ministers. The medieval building was demolished in 1802 prior to the construction of the present church the same year to the design of architect James Ballingal. Arngask Church in Glenfarg and the Kirk of St Bride united in 1951 and, in 2006, the church became half of the united charge of Abernethy, Dron and Arngask.

The church is aligned north-east/south-west, with its Victorian pulpit in the centre of its southern wall, and three timber galleries hugging its other walls. It possesses a striking stone font, installed in 1892 and several interesting stained glass windows, including two by noted artist William Wilson.

On the edge of the kirkyard is a truly remarkable 11th century round tower, one of only two to survive in Scotland (the other is located next to Brechin Cathedral). Its Romanesque windows suggest it was built towards the end of the century, possibly around the time that the King of Scots Malcolm Canmore and the King of England William the Conqueror met at Abernethy in 1072. Despite having its own belfry, the church has never possessed a bell, instead it uses a bell hung in the tower that was cast in 1782.

The tower has an iron “joug collar” attached to it, this was used to publicly punish individuals who were deemed by the minister and the kirk session to have breached the kirk’s moral codes. Next to the collar can be seen an impressive Pictish stone wits several symbols carved upon it, further emphasising the importance of this site in the early medieval period.

Services

Services are held on Sundays at 10am and alternate between Abernethy and Arngask Churches. Check each church’s noticeboard for information.

Opening Arrangements

Open by arrangement