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)

Information from OASIS ID: aocarcha1-326327 (D. Sproat) 2020