Roman Catholic Church Of The Annunciation, Aird Street, Portsoy

Charles Dawson, Wright, Banff, 1829. Gothick. Rectangular, with pilastered 3-bay S entrance gable. Harled, tooled and polished ashlar dressings. Wide giant pilasters divide W front into 3 bays and clasp angles as buttresses, all diminishing slightly in stepped stages to crenellated wallhead,above which they project as pulvinated pinnacles. Centre pointed-headed entrance with renewed studded plank door; blind pointed-head window above; similarly shaped window flank entrance and light gallery in outer 1st floor bays. 3 pointed-headed windows light long W elevation, each with hooks of former shutters remaining. Multi-pane timber sash windows with intersecting astragals in each window apex mirroring leaded pattern applied inside. Single blind window in E elevation, presbytery abutting to right. Simple semi-circular apse (added 1925) projects at N gable (liturgical E).

Simple finial at E gable,cross finial at W; slate roof.

INTERIOR: renovated 1938. Simple galleried interior, gallery reached by circular wooden stair close to entrance. In apse original marble altar with engaged columns and blind traceried front. Altar stands below later panelled and pilaster painted wooden canopy, painted detailing including bishop's mitre, in gold and crimson. Modern veneered altar advanced in chancel. Chancel enclosed by canted wooden communion rail, each section divided by engaged columns and infilled with gilded (perhaps re-used) foliated carvings with grapes, monstrance, chalice, ciborium and censer.

ENCLOSING WALL: church fronted by low rubble wall with spearhead railings.