Upper Knockando, Knockando Parish Church
Church (18th Century), Church (20th Century) (1993)
Site Name Upper Knockando, Knockando Parish Church
Classification Church (18th Century), Church (20th Century) (1993)
Canmore ID 16042
Site Number NJ14SE 1
NGR NJ 18643 42881
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/16042
- Council Moray
- Parish Knockando
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Moray
- Former County Morayshire
A simple mid eighteenth century church, enlarged with a new south front and round corner tower added in 1906.
NJ14SE 1.00 18643 42881 (removed from 2026 4218)
NJ14SE 1.01 1862 4283 Pictish Symbol Stone
NJ14SE 1.02 1862 4283 Pictish Symbol Stone
NJ14SE 1.03 1862 4283 Rune-stone
NJ14SE 4 2026 4218 Knockando Old Parish Church (Ruin)
NJ14SE 1.04 18606 42884 Burial ground
NJ14SE 1.05 18601 42897 Watch house
(NJ 1862 4283) Church (NR) (Site of)
(NJ 1863 4282) Sculptured Stone (NAT)
OS 6" map, Morayshire, 2nd ed., (1900)
'A hollow feature among the graves' (Name Book 1870), or 'The Elchies Tomb' (H B Mackintosh 1924) in the churchyard is said to mark the site of a former parish church, presumably the fore- runner of the present church which was built in 1757.
The published sculptured stone is one of three which were removed from the grave-yard at Pulvrennan (NJ24SW 4) about 1820, and are now set into the wall at the entrance to the churchyard.
They consist of two symbol stones and one with Scandinavian runes of possibly the 9th or 10th centurys.
One symbol stone is an irregular quadrangular gneiss slab 4'9" x 1'10" wide, incised with the 'marigold' and two crescents and v-rods. The other is approximately rectangular 6'3" by 1' 6" incised with the serpent and mirror symbols.
J Stuart 1867; Name Book 1870; D Wilson 1883; J Allen and J Anderson 1903; H B Mackintosh 1924.
Field Visit (10 March 1971)
There is no trace of the earlier church in the churchyard, which is still in use. According to the minister "The Elchies Tomb", the burial enclosure of the Grants of Carron, formerly of Wester Elchies, occupies the site of the E gable of the church, which would put the centre of the church c. 10.m N of the OS siting symbol. The two symbol stones and the runic inscribed stone are incorporated side by side in the wall at the entrance to the churchyard at NJ 1867 4288.
Visited by OS (A A) 10 March 1971; Information from Rev R Prentice, The Manse, Knockando.
Reference (1997)
Two class I symbol stones.
Knockando 1 : Wheel above two crescent and V-rod symbols side by side.
Knockando 2 : Serpent at the top with mirror-and-comb at the foot.
A Mack 1997
Standing Building Recording (2012)
NJ 1864 4287 Knockando Parish Church suffered a severe fire in 1990 and as a result was deemed unsafe. It was demolished and in 1993 rebuilt on the same footprint. There is no record of excavations prior to the rebuilding, although the church sat on an old site. At least three earlier churches had been on the site, dating from1757 to 1906. In that year a round tower was added to the SW and this was repeated in the new building. An old watch house in the graveyard has been transformed into another modern feature. It has been redesigned as a chapel, which is open all year. A number of unusual features can be seen in the graveyard, Victorian gravestones and other carved stones.
The interior is entirely modern, light and airy, with tall windows and a ridge light along the length of the church. The communion table sits on a curved raised platform, with the organ in the SE corner and the wooden font, with an unusual pottery bowl, is at the S. Survey of Places of Worship in Scotland.
Archive: Scottish Church Heritage Research
Funder: Historic Scotland
Edwina Proudfoot and Jonathan Dowling, Scottish Church Heritage Research (SCHR) 2012 (DES)
2012
Photographic Survey (1 May 2013)
Photographed on behalf of the Buildings of Scotland publications 2013-14.
