Church Overview

This striking Gothic church, in hammer-blocked coursed rubble work of blue granite stone and dressed white Kemnay stone, was designed by prominent local architect William Smith. It was built 1875-77 by the Aberdeen Church Extension Committee as a Church of Scotland parish church for the use of the residents of the ever-expanding Victorian suburb of Rosemount. Extensive hall accommodation was added by the architects Gall & Walker in 1889-90, following a period of fund-raising by its new congregation. 

The feu charter that granted the somewhat awkward triangular piece of ground on which the church was built required that its handsome front faced onto Caroline Place. The kirk was built in cruciform plan, with pulpit and choir seating at the west end and galleries in each transept. Its somewhat obviously truncated tower, on the south side of the building, was intended to carry an elegant spire upwards into the Aberdeen sky, but this was never built.

The Church of Scotland closed the building in 1993, when the congregation was merged with that of Rutherford Church, which then changed its name to Rosemount Parish Church, before that building was eventually also closed in 2005. The halls of the original Rosemount Parish Church were then converted into  guest house accommodation, while the sanctuary was transformed into an event space, offices, meeting rooms, function hall and community café.

In 2001, the building became home to The Father’s House, a Pentecostal congregational church, which operates the accommodation block as a guesthouse, while worshipping and providing varied community activities and services in the spaces to be found within the remaining church building. 

Services

Occasional

Opening Arrangements

Open by arrangement

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.