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Portlethen, Portlethen Parish Church
Burial Ground (Post Medieval), Church (Post Medieval)
Site Name Portlethen, Portlethen Parish Church
Classification Burial Ground (Post Medieval), Church (Post Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) Chapell Of Port Lethen; Portleven; Portlethan Church; Portlethan Kirk
Canmore ID 37216
Site Number NO99NW 8
NGR NO 92377 96607
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/37216
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish Banchory-devenick
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Kincardine And Deeside
- Former County Kincardineshire
NO99NW 8 92377 96607
(NO 9238 9660) Church (NAT) (1635)
OS 6" map, Kincardineshire, 1st ed., (1868)
Macfarlane (1906-8), writing in 1725, records that 'the Chapell of Port Lethen', which stood 'a short quarter of a mile' west of the House of Porthleven (Portleven Castle - NO99NW9) had been built about 90 years before by Robert Buchan. He adds that the chapel was three miles from the church. The ONB (1865) quotes Macfarlane and adds, apparently on the authority of Rev. W Law, minister of the parish, that the present church was built on the foundations of Robert Buchan's Roman Catholic chapel which had formerly been known as the 'Red Church' due to its red stone. It had been demolished about 1843 as it was then in bad repair, although Henderson records that it had undergone extensive additions and alterations in 1834. Both Henderson (1890) and Watt deny that this was the site of the 'Red Church' which they say was in Fetteresso parish NO89SE 9.
OS Name Book 1865; J A Henderson 1890; W Macfarlane 1906-8; J C Watt 1914.
No trace of an earlier building can be seen at Portlethan Church.
Visited by OS (W D J) 9 November 1961.
The 19th century church of Portlethen stands within its walled burial-ground on a natural knoll 800m WNW of Portlethen village. It replaced a Roman Catholic chapel founded by Robert Buchan in 1635.
RCAHMS 1984, visited December 1983.
New Statistical Account (NSA) 1845; OS Name Book 1865; J A Henderson 1890; W Macfarlane 1906; J C Watt 1914.
