Hill Church Of Rosehearty

Hill Church of Rosehearty is a tall cruciform Gothic church built in 1890 by A. Marshall Mackenzie, incorporating elements from the Forbes loft of 1634 from an older church. The church features a shallow canted apse at the east gable and is constructed of pale squared granite with dark pinnings, following Aberdeen bonding, and has tooled granite dressings.

At the southwest, a gable entrance porch projects outward, featuring a double-leaf door with ornate cast-iron hinges. The nave is lit by intersecting Y-traceried windows, while the north and south aisle windows have simple Y-tracery in the gables. The apse contains cusped lancets, and the west gable has tall paired 2-light windows. At the apex of the west gable, there is a bellcote capped by a slender miniature spire adorned with clasping slender pinnacles and a cast-iron decorative weathervane, housing a re-hung bell from 1798. The church has lattice-pane glazing and steeply pitched slate roofs.

Inside, the church has a simple yet lofty interior with a barrel vaulted timber roof. The south aisle features the richly carved and dated 1634 Forbes loft, which has a lavishly carved front beneath an equally ornate canopy supported by slender Ionic columns. This area includes a panelled interior with cusped and pendant details, along with a richly carved doorpiece and a flanking screen. The panelled ceiling of the south aisle incorporates re-used pendants and other carved fragments and panels, with raked seating.

The pulpit, made of wood in 1890, stands on a pedestal and is accessed by a staircase with turned balusters. The facets of the pulpit include re-used 17th century carved wooden panels, one dated 1634 and another initialled MT.

Additionally, there is a war memorial consisting of a carved and inscribed wooden panel in the style of A. Marshall Mackenzie, featuring a cornice that supports kneeling angels holding an inscribed scroll between them.