Description
1736-7 on site of earlier chapel of St Andrews; cruciform
church; harled, ashlar margins. Main body of church runs
east west with contemporary Sutherland north aisle, and
later south aisle dated 1754. Entrance in SE re-entrant
angle, masked by small square porch; small ground and
gallery windows in south elevation; south gable has
paired long and centre small windows; long windows light
gallery in east and west gables. Entrance to north aisle
in east elevation served by forestair; 2 ground and 3
small 1st floor windows in west elevation. Apex stack
with moulded cornice and string course.
Multi-pane glazing; ball-finialled birdcage bellcote at
west gable apex; flat skews; steeply pitched slate roof;
stone ridge.
Interior; Sutherland laird's loft, with rear retiring
room, fills entire north aisle; panelled interior and
front; enriched entablature dated 1739 supported on
Corinthian columns, panelled ducal pew, and coved ceiling,
work by Kenneth Sutherland, joiner at Dunrobin.
Imposing panelled pulpit also by Sutherland dated 1738 at
angle of south and west aisles; (moved to this position
1752); Ionic pilastered backboard with keyblocked blind
inner arch; hexagonal sounding board with ornate moulded
cornice.
Galleries in east and west aisles, with panelled fronts
probably stepped in present form c 1849.
Simple white plaster walls with some mural tablets; plain
grey painted panelled pews; closely resembling the
originals designed by George Hay 1954; stone flagged
floors. Bell inscribed as first founded 1696 and
re-founded 1728 by Robert Maxwell of Edinburgh.
Coped coursed rubble wall encloses burial ground
containing memorial to the Gordons of Carroll erected in
1883; various late 17th, 18th and 19th century tomb
stones of interest.
Statement of Special Interest
Ecclesiastical building in use as such. 1736 visit by
representatives of the Presbytery found the Church in a
dangerous condition. It was decided to enlarge the Church
and add the N aisle. An estimated cost was $169.1s3d
including the pulpit.
Earl William supervised work. Fixed seating provided.
Serious structural faults led to south aisle being
constructed as buttress; the stone on exterior is dated
1754 but work was completed by 1752.
Some tombstones resited in Burial Ground after re-building
of rubble wall due to realignment of A9 road, 1982-3.