Church Overview

This striking Gothic church hosted its opening service on Sunday 16 November 1851, opening its doors as the Mill Street United Presbyterian Chapel just six months after its foundation stone was laid. Built to replace a nearby 18th century church building at a cost of £1231. it was designed by noted Edinburgh architect John Dick Peddie, who provided it with an elegant two-storey, three-gabled sandstone ashlar frontage, with buttresses and pinnacles on the street façade, and a cruciform interior, consisting of nave and side galleries.

Its congregation changed its name to St Luke’s United Presbyterian Church in May 1894 and, in 1900, following the nationwide union of the the majority of congregations of the United Presbyterian Church and the Free Church of Scotland, its name was changed to St Luke’s United Free Church. Following the denominational union with the Church of Scotland in 1929, St Luke’s Church was eventually united with nearby St John’s Church in 1951, deemed surplus to denominational requirements and closed in 1953. Members of the local continuing United Free Church congregation purchased the church and reopened it the following year, renaming it Knox United Free Church.

A selection of stained glass memorial windows, designed by James Ballantine and Son, were installed on either side of the church’s simple pulpit in 1878 and beneath the west gallery in 1889, subjects include an anchor surrounded by flowers and the biblical scenes of ‘The Lost Sheep’, ‘The Lost Pieces of Silver’ and ‘The Return of the Prodigal Son’, the latter choices quite possibly reflecting an increasing congregational desire for a reunion with their local sister denominations.

After a prolonged fundraising campaign, a Eustace Ingram was installed in 1890 to replace a harmonium that had served the church for many years. The apse was then reordered in 1892, when a grand polished oak pulpit, with ornate wrought-iron scrollwork and brass balustrades surrounded with oak panelling was installed to replace the original pulpit. The new pulpit was designed by Edinburgh architect Archibald MacPherson and crafted by Edinburgh furniture makers Whytock, Reid & Co. The large three-light cathedral glass window at the front of the church was also stripped and filled during these works with stained glass from the workshop of Ballantine & Gardiner depicting St Luke writing his Gospel and two Disciples on their journey to Emmaus.

The church was visited and its contents documented by the Aberdeen Church Recorders in July 2026.

Services

Sunday: 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.