Church Overview

This bold Scottish Gothic church was built by the architect John Jeffrey Waddell, between 1924-1926, working to plans drawn up in 1921 by his uncle, the eminent architect Peter MacGregor Chalmers who had died in 1922 and whose practice Waddell had taken on.

Built for the United Free Church, shortly before their union with the Church of Scotland, it was constructed for a total cost of £20,000 next to the site of the original Free Church building of 1843 and was the gift of Mrs Paton Thomson of Greenfield in Alloa, dedicated to the memory of her parents who had been members of the founding Free Church congregation there.

Described in The Scotsman newspaper when it opened as “one of the finest ecclesiastical buildings erected recently in Scotland” with “exceptionally good” proportions and “flamboyant traceried windows” its grand open bell tower and embellished spire have now graced the sky above Kirkintilloch for almost a century.

It possesses a nave, aisles and apse, with oak furnishings and panelling throughout and some fine stained glass windows, by artists such as William Glasby and Gordon Webster. Its 2-manual pipe organ, a significant instrument of 1899 by Belgian organ builder Charles Anneessens, was moved from the previous building and installed by Ingram of Edinburgh in 1926 and rebuilt and enlarged by Goldsmith of Edinburgh in 1974 and 1989. With 36 speaking stops, it is now one of the largest 2-manual organs in Scotland. The church’s halls were redesigned, modernised and supplemented with further additional rooms in 2007.

Originally known as St David’s United Free Church of Scotland, in 1929 it became St David’s Memorial Church and then, following further congregational union in 1991, it became St David’s Memorial Park Church. It is currently in the process of forming a congregational union with nearby St Mary’s Parish Church.

Services

Sundays at 10.30am and Tuesdays at 12pm (followed by tea and coffee)

Opening Arrangements

Open each day Monday to Friday 9am to 3.30pm,

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.