Standing Building Recording

Date 25 July 2018 - 26 July 2018

Event ID 1089306

Category Recording

Type Standing Building Recording

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1089306

NO 39054 97538 A historic building survey was undertaken,

25–26 July 2018, of the ruined church in advance of

consolidation works to stabilise the church, and is part of

wider initiative to embrace the heritage value and visitor

experience of the church.

Tullich Church dates from the 1400s and is situated over

the site of an earlier 7th-century church which is thought to

have been dedicated to St Nathalan. This earlier church was

then passed to the Knights Templar in the 1200s, who later

became the Knights Hospitaller to the Order of St John.

The present kirk is located within a roughly circular

churchyard wall and is fairly plain with little architectural

detail, due in most part to the hard granite rubble used in

its construction. Sandstone has been used for the door and

window surrounds on the S elevation, which are chamfered

and contain the internal slits for glazing panels on the insides

of the window surrounds. The church was abandoned in the

late 18th century in favour of a new kirk built in Ballater when

there was a joining of parishes in the area. The kirk was likely

stripped of its roof and furnishings at this time and was then

subdivided in the early 19th century into three burial aisles

for the Farquharson, Grant and Emslie families, with dates of

those interred or remembered there dating from 1826–1993.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Aberdeenshire Council

Diana Sproat – AOC Archaeology Group

(Source: DES, Volume 19)