Mccheyne Memorial Church, 328 Perth Road, Dundee

The McCheyne Memorial Church, located at 328 Perth Road, Dundee, was designed by Frederick T Pilkington of Pilkington and Bell and built in 1869-70. It was later extended to the south around 1899 in the same style. This is a muscular Gothic church featuring a steeple, basement halls, and a vestry to the south. The church is constructed of ashlar, accented with lighter stone bands and details.

The northeast corner rises to a tower and spire. A doorway to Shepherd’s Loan is set within a pointed cusped arch supported by nook-shafts with stiff-leaded capitals, and features a carved tympanum. A memorial to Rev R M McCheyne is located in a granite niche in the north gable, set within a gabletted surround. A band course runs along the building, incorporating paterae. The second stage of the tower is square with chamfered angles and lancet windows. The chamfers broaden into a gabletted corona at the octagonal belfry stage, which is alternately louvred. The faceted spire is topped with a wrought-iron cross finial.

The north elevation has twin gables. A pointed arched doorway is framed by carved tympana and spandrels within square hoodmoulds. Nook shafts support the structure. To the right of the doorway is a two-light window; to the left is a five-light window. A geometrical traceried rose window sits above, contained within a pointed arched panel and richly carved tympanum. A large five-light traceried window with a wheel design, quatrefoiled base panels, and stepped hoodmould is also present. A hoodmoulded quatrefoil is located to the right of the rose window.

The side elevations are triple gabled. A large rose window is positioned above a five-light bowed ground floor at the centre, flanked by a two-light pointed window over a three-light ground floor, both featuring impost-level stiff-leafed capitals. Rock-faced masonry is used for the basement hall.

The south addition incorporates re-entrant angles filled by large bows. A five-light bow is present on the west side, and a four-light bow with a stair turret and conical slate roof on the east elevation.

The south gable showcases a large trefoiled rose window above two lancets, topped with a Celtic cross finial.

The church is roofed with slate, and features an ornate fleche and wrought-iron finial. The windows are a mix of stained glass and cathedral-pane glazing for the church itself, while the halls have sash and case windows with an eight-pane glazing pattern.

The vestry and office are two-storey gabled, featuring two- and three-light windows facing Shepherd’s Loan, and tall wallhead stacks.

The railings are modern, with the exception of a short section of wrought-iron beside the tower.

The interior is galleried, with high-quality woodwork to the gallery, curved pews, and a large pulpit. The church features a large organ and a timber double-framed roof with wrought-iron collar rods. Good stained glass, some of which is recent, is present, created by artists including T S Halliday and A L Russell, and commemorates notable figures like Mr Marshall (organist), Ministers Kenneth McIver and Andrew Forrest, and losses from both World Wars.