Clynekirkton, Parish Church

Heritage listing

Date Added 13/02/2003 Type Ecclesiastical: burial ground, cemetery, graveyard; church Local Authority Highland Parish Clyne NGR NC 89472 06065 Coordinates 289472, 906065 — The monument comprises Clynekirkton Old Parish Church, its associated churchyard and watchhouse, and the probable site of its medieval predecessor. The surviving church is 18th century in date and visible as an upstanding ruin. The church is situated on a hillside at the midpoint between West Clyne, East Clyne and Clynelish, on the W bank of the Clyne Burn, at about 45m OD. It lies by a curving single-track road, the route of a drove/coffin road. An associated manse is situated to the S and a free-standing belfry stands upon a knoll to the NW, on the other side of the road. Socach Hill rises to the NW. An Early Christian chapel at 'Kille of Clyne' may have been associated with the 19th-century finds of two Class I Pictish symbol stones and the head of a rectangular cross-slab. The latter had been built into the E gable of the 18th-century church. One of the symbol stones apparently originated from a field at Clynemilton Farm and was then moved to the churchyard. All three stones were later transferred to Dunrobin Museum. In the 13th century Clyne was assigned as part of the prebend of the dean of Caithness in the construction of Bishop Gilbert, 1224x45. A church dedicated to Saint Aloyne had been built at Clynekirkton at least by 1625-26, at which time it was repaired by Sir Robert Gordon. The present church possesses a datestone of 1775. It was enlarged in 1827 with the addition of the N wing and a gallery, and the bell was moved from the detached bell tower to within the wing. Following The Disruption of 1843 the congregation dramatically decreased in number, which instigated the removal of the gall

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.