Drainie, Old Parish Church

NJ16NE 17 1995 6821

(NJ 1995 6921) Church (NR) (In Ruins)

OS 6" map, (1938)

For Drainie (New) Kirk, see NJ26NW 88.

For (surrounding) Lossiemouth Airfield (RAF Lossiemouth), see NJ26NW 50.00.

Built between 1654 and 1675 (R G Cant 1948) the church of Drainie is 62 feet long by 24 feet wide; in the centre of the north side is a wing, spanned by an arch, 24 feet by 18 feet (MacGibbon and Ross 1896-7).

D MacGibbon and T Ross 1896-7; R G Cant 1948.

A severe storm in the winter of 1952 is reported to have blown down the belfry and most of the E gable. The Admiralty subsequently demolished the remainder, reducing it to a dwarf wall.

Scott H et al (eds.), 1915-61.

Access was not obtained to this site which lies within the perimeter of Lossiemouth airfield (RNAS). The airfield authorities state that the church has been entirely demolished, and this was confirmed by local enquiries.

Visited by OS (W D J) 28 November 1962; Information from A J Smith, Farmer, Silverhills and R Murray, Farmer, Sweethillock.

This monument falls within the perimeter of RAF Lossiemouth (Lossiemouth Airfield: NJ26NW 50).

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 24 January 1999.

Desk-based surveys were undertaken on several churches in Moray following on the work upon Moray graveyards (Farrell 1997) including:

NJ 1995 6921 The old parish church was demolished in 1952. A study was made of church records, parish registers, local history publications, maps, photographs and churchyard interment records.

Report lodged with the NMRS.

S Farrell 1999

INVENTORY OF GRAVEYARD AND CEMETERY SITES IN SCOTLAND REFERENCE:

Address: N/A

Postcode: IV31 6SB

Status: Closed for burials but maintained

Size: 0.07 hectares, 0.17 acres

Polygon: Yes

TOIDs: 1000000172528545 (church),1000000172528544 (graveyard)

Number of gravestones: 67

Earliest gravestone: 1695

Most recent gravestone: 1908

Description: Graveyard associated with a church (church demolished). The church was abandoned in 1825 and demolished 1952. The church building and graveyard walls are demolished and all tombstones laid flat in the interests of aircraft safety. A mixture of flat stones and upright stones. No significantly important carvings.

Data Sources: Graveyard Recording Form, 30 November2003; OS Mastermap checked 10 June 2005

The burial ground and site of Drainie Old Parish Church is situated in the SW runway section of RAF Lossiemouth Airfield (NJ26NW 50.00), immediately inside the perimeter track and between two large aircraft hangar dispersal areas.

The T-shape of the church is marked out by a low wall in the grass area between the runways as is the adjoining burial ground within which are the graveslabs. All of the graveslabs have been laid flat and the area is well tended with the grass being kept shorter than the surrounding area.

Several of the graveslabs are ornate, but most have only carved inscriptions.

Visited by RCAHMS (DE), 29 August 2007.