Bourtie Parish Church

The Bourtie Parish Church stands in the small settlement of Kirkton of Bourtie, about 1.5 kilometres south of Oldmeldrum in Aberdeenshire. Built in 1806, it replaced an earlier church on the same site, first recorded in 1199 when it belonged to St Andrews Priory. The congregation shared a minister with nearby parishes in the 16th century and was formally united with Meldrum in 1618 before becoming independent again in 1650. The present building uses elements from its predecessor, including a bell cast by John Mowat in 1760. In 1934 the interior was lightly refurbished while keeping its simple design. The church is a plain example of early 19th-century Gothic revival architecture, with a nearly square plan and walls of rough fieldstone. Two tall pointed windows light the south wall, while the north wall holds the main pointed doorway. A steep pitched roof covers the body of the church, and a small bellcote with open louvres crowns the west gable. The building was listed in category A of Scotland’s historic buildings in 1971 for its architectural and historical importance. Inside, the whitewashed walls and dark timber roof create a quiet, uncluttered space. The 1760 bell still hangs in the open bellcote, and the interior fittings date largely from the 19th century. The church sits at the heart of the scattered hamlet, surrounded by fields and low hills typical of Aberdeenshire. Visitors can walk around the building on a gravel path and view the graveyard where early parishioners were buried.