Lundie Parish Church

Lundie Kirk stands on a small rise in the village of Lundie, Angus. Built in the 12th century in Romanesque style, it was owned by the Priory of St Andrews and may have served as a rest stop for travelling monks. The Durward family, who owned the village, constructed the church, which was first mentioned during the reign of William the Lion. The church is dedicated to Saint Lawrence and was partly rebuilt in 1846 and significantly renovated in 1892 by Scottish architect Thomas Saunders Robertson. It became a Category A listed building in 1971 due to its Romanesque masonry and the mausoleum. The church is worth the journey for its historical connections and architectural features. It was owned by the Duncan family from 1660, and a mausoleum was added in 1789 to house the body of Sir William Duncan, 1st Baronet. Admiral Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan, who won the Battle of Camperdown in 1797, is buried in the graveyard. The church held a bell from the captured Dutch ship Vrijheid, though its whereabouts are now unknown. The interior featured pitch pine boarding, wooden pews, and a timber-panelled pulpit, along with memorials to notable figures. A visitor finds a church with a plain west elevation and a principal south elevation with six bays, including a porch and entrance. The north elevation has a leper window and a blocked-up coal hole, while the east elevation is dominated by the vestry, originally a mausoleum. The interior once held a wrought-iron memorial to John Robert Lester and a stained-glass window to the Hunter family. The churchyard is surrounded by a high rubble-built wall and contains burials from the 18th to 20th centuries, including the Duncan family plot. Despite a serious fire in 2022, the mausoleum and burial ground escaped significant damage.