Church Overview

The present parish church in Galston, designed by architect John Brash of Glasgow, was erected in 1808-09 and is the third church to be built on this spot since the Reformation. There is medieval documentary evidence that shows this site has been used as a place of Christian worship since at least 1252 and the congregation planted a yew tree in the north-west corner of the kirkyard in 2002 to mark this landmark 750th anniversary.

The magnificent spire rises to a height of 120 feet and contains a bell by John C Wilson & Co at the Gorbals Brass and Bell Foundry in Glasgow, dated 1885. A porch was added in 1879 by the firm of Ingrams of Kilmarnock and a stunning new chancel was added 1912-13 by the firm of Hay & Steel. During this latter refurbishment, the handsome pulpit and choir stalls were installed along with the magnificent 3-manual pipe organ by J J Binns of Leeds. Further significant renovations carried out in the 1980s, 1999 and 2018-19.

The church possesses two war memorial stained glass windows by noted artist Oscar Paterson, who was one of the artists, along with the contemporaries such as Charles Rennie Macintosh, Margaret MacDonald and others, who cemented the reputation of the so called “Glasgow School”  or “Glasgow Style” art movement in the late 19th and early 20th century. Three other windows depicting Christ, St Matthew and St John were relocated from the Erskine Church in 2005. A modern window by the artist Paul Lucky, depicting a rustic cross, was also installed in 2005.

Notable ministers include the Rev Dr George Smith, great-grandfather of famed Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson and mentioned by Scotland’s national bard Robert Burns in ‘The Holy Fair’  and in two further poems (his grave is found on the north side of the church). Also the Rev Robert Stirling, the inventor of the Stirling Engine and who served Galston during a national cholera epidemic.

The kirkyard contains many interesting headstones, including the remarkable gravestone of Andrew Richmond, who was killed by John Graham of Claverhouse (later the 1st Viscount Dundee) during the bloody “Killing Time“. It is located near the south porch door along with another memorial to five other Covenanters.

The building has changed its name a few times over the past two centuries. Following the unification of the United Free Church of Scotland and the Church of Scotland in 1929, its name changed to Galston Old Parish Church. Following the formal union with Galston New (Erskine) Parish Church it reverted to Galston Parish Church as the “new” kirk was initially converted to become the halls of the “old” kirk, before new halls were constructed in 2004. In 2025, following further unions with the nearby Church of Scotland congregations in Darvel and Newmilns, the church was renamed the Irvine Valley Parish Church.

Services

Sundays at 11.00am

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.