Peathill, Old Pitsligo Church

Heritage listing

Date Added 26/02/2003 Last Date Amended 06/06/2005 Type Ecclesiastical: burial ground, cemetery, graveyard; church Local Authority Aberdeenshire Parish Pitsligo NGR NJ 93393 66238 Coordinates 393393, 866238 — The monument consists of the remains of Old Pitlsigo Church and burial ground, which is situated on high ground overlooking Rosehearty and the North Sea beyond. The church stands 40m to the SW of the present, though redundant, parish church of Pitsligo which was built in 1890. The monument was first scheduled in 1955. On that occasion only the ruined structure was scheduled. The monument is being rescheduled to include the old burial ground where associated remains may survive and which has a fine collection of very fine memorials. The parish of Pitsligo was established by an Act of Parliament in 1633 from the existing parishes of Aberdour, Fraserburgh and Tyrie following a petition by Alexander Forbes of Pitsligo. It was to be the last parish erected with the Synod of Aberdeen. The church of Pitsligo was begun before the creation of the parish, perhaps as early as 1630, and was paid for by Lord Forbes of Pitsligo. The church was abandoned in 1890 with the congregation moving to the new church. The decision to construct a new building created a great controversy within the parish at the time, with civil unrest and an effigy of the minister being publicly burnt. The old church remained roofed until 1960. The church is a typical post-reformation T-plan kirk, measuring about 18m E-W and 8m transversely, with a large aisle midway along the S elevation, which projects about 6m by 5m out from the main body of the kirk. The building is plain, with local rubble masonry, which still retains extensive trace of lime harl, and red sandstone margins to the window and doors. In

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.