Church Overview

This remarkable 15th century Gothic church was once part of a Carmelite friary that was founded around 1330 and dedicated “to God and the Virgine Mary, and the brethren of the Order of the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel.”

Following the Reformation, and Dissolution of the Scotland’s monasteries, it spent a brief spell as the parish church before a new kirk was built nearby, then its many buildings were put to a variety of secular uses by the local population, with only its choir retained as a chapel and burial place by the Dundas family.

By the late 19th century its cloisters, nave and most of the medieval domestic buildings associated with the friary had long fallen into disrepair and were demolished. Only the choir, tower and baptistry survived and in 1890 these were restored for the use of the Scottish Episcopal church, under the supervision of architect John Kinross.

A porch was added in 1937 and further work was carried out in the 1960s by noted conservation architect Ian Lindsay. The church was again extensively refurbished in 1999-2000, overseen by by architect Douglas Fleet, when a new floor (with underfloor heating) was added and an engraved glass screen was installed in a side chapel.

The interior of the church has a pointed barrel vault to its Nave. The building also retains several surviving medieval fragments including sedilla, piscina and aumbry and in interesting medieval mass dial on the outside south wall. There are memorials throughout to the Dundas family and all of the stained glass windows are dedicated to them. The striking octagonal font and its cover were designed by Robert Lorimer.

The church has built a new multi-purpose Garden Room outside, providing improved facilities for visitors and a much more flexible space for local community activities.

Services

Sunday 10.30am, Thursday 10.00am

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.