Documents

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The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM89_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600015191)

Summary

Description

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 contrast to the simplicity of the building, the W gable is surmounted by heavily ornamented bellcote which exhibits a mingling of Gothic and Renaissance features. Internally there existed east and west galleries, originally accessed by external stairs. These were removed and new interior stairs were built during major renovation in 1793. The S aisle, which was also accessed from an exterior stair, accommodated the burial vault of the Forbes family above which was a highly ornamental loft for Lord Pitsligo and his family. The timberwork for the loft was removed in 1890 and built into a aisle of the new church where it still survives.

The old kirkyard contains a very fine collection of gravestones dating from the early 17th century onwards.

The area to be scheduled includes the remains of the church and the extent of the old burial ground. It is irregular in shape and has maximum dimensions of 75m NE-SW and 58m transversely as marked in red on the attached map. All modern burial lairs still in use and the stretch of surviving boundary wall are excluded from the scheduling.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as a very well preserved example of an early post-reformation church, which appears to have been constructed on a new site for a new parish in the early 17th century. The church is very typical of a number of churches built at this time with a T-plan, internal galleries, the main heritor's burial aisle with pew above and a ornemented belcote. The monument is also important in demonstrating the response to new forms of worship after the Reformation, such as the construction of burial enclosures and laird's lofts. The continued existence of the timberwork of the loft, even though it is not in situ, is a remarkable survival, and enhances the importance of the monument. In addition, the association of the monument with the Forbes of Pitsilgo family, fervent Jacobites, as were several of the ministers at Pitsligo, further adds to its importance.

References

Bibliography

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

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Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.