The Temple, Belladrum

The Temple at Belladrum is a small chapel constructed in 1935 by Reginald Fairlie for Mrs Merry of Belladrum. It is an elongated, octagonal building with a small, canted vestry attached to the south wall. The exterior is faced in tooled ashlar with polished ashlar dressings. A central entrance is located on the west face, accessed by a short flight of steps; it features rolled mouldings to the architraves and a wheel window above. The doorway is flanked by long, narrow, square-headed windows with traceried heads. A similar pair of windows are positioned on the east side, with all windows featuring carved lintels depicting Temperance, Prudence, Fortitude, or Justice. A small cruciform light is high in the centre of the east wall. The vestry has a central door flanked by simple, narrow windows, and both entrances feature panelled teak doors and lattice-pane glazing. A stepped base course is present. The chapel has deep, moulded wallhead cornices and an ogee fishscale roof with short leaded ridges linking a pair of leaded apex crosses. The vestry is covered by a facetted slate roof.

Inside, the doorway to the vestry has a door similar to the main entrance, with a metal memorial plaque above, positioned under a cornice supporting a further inscribed ashlar plaque. To the east is a small, round-headed niche enclosed by a decorative grill containing two urns. The roof is moulded timber panelled with Tudor rose bosses at the intersections. A free-standing altar features a cusped, panelled front, accompanied by simple turned communion rails.

The building is no longer used as a place of worship. It is situated on a small rise and screened by trees. A wall plaque reads: "I have built this Memorial Temple to the Glory of God to be a quiet resting place and a holy shrine. Ida Merry of Belladrum, 14 August, 1935." The urns contain the ashes of W A Merry and his wife, Helen Eliza. A slab tombstone outside marks the grave of Col Eion J H Merry, 1904-1966.