Dunnet Church

Dunnet Parish Church stands in the small Highland village of Dunnet, between the A836 road and the Dunnet Burn, which flows from St John’s Loch to Dunnet Bay. The present building probably dates from the 17th or 18th century, though it may contain parts from an earlier medieval church. A north-facing transept was added in 1837, giving the church its distinctive T-shaped plan. Its harled walls and slate roofs give the exterior a plain, sturdy appearance. A two-storey bell tower rises at the west gable, with a simple door below and small openings in the gable triangles above. The church is surrounded by an old burial ground where many stones pre-date the 16th century. These early markers show that Christian worship has continued here since the Middle Ages. Timothy Pont, who made Scotland’s first detailed map, served as parish minister from 1601 to 1610. Records from 1223 and 1245 mention a church on this site, suggesting it may have been dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The market held each year a week after Mary’s Nativity kept the church at the heart of local life. Inside, the church is plain and practical, with long sash windows along each wall. A small ground-floor window and the tower openings let in light. A memorial slab is built into the south wall, and a rough-stone wall encloses the graveyard. The building’s simple lines and historic stones make it a quiet witness to centuries of faith and community in Dunnet.