Church Overview

A tall and dignified T-plan Gothic church, given presence by a handsome, four-stage, square tower with tall pinnacles, that was built 1836-7 to the designs of local architect William McCandlish. A vestry was added later to the east end of the building.

There are three galleries, held aloft on wooden Tuscan columns, each with its original box pews of the 1830s. The pews on the ground floor and the oak pulpit and communion table date to the early 1900s when improvements to the church were carried out.

The church possesses magnificent stained glass windows, including ‘The Good Shepherd’ by Abbey Studio and a bronze relief bust of Rev Patrick Borrowman by James Paterson, from 1900, on its east gable. There is pipework still in place of an organ that installed in 1902 but reported unserviceable in 1937.

The church was sold to a private owner in 2021 as part of the Church of Scotland’s nationwide rationalisation of its property portfolio. The graveyard outside remains in the care of the local authority and open to the public. It houses the ruined remains of the former church, several notable Covenanter gravestones and the late 17th century burial enclosure of the Fergussons of Craigdarroch.

Church building Now privately owned but graveyard remains open

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.