Alves Parish Church

Alves Parish Church was built in 1845, likely designed by architect John Urquhart from Forres, and underwent extensive interior renovations and the addition of a rear wing by A and W Reid and Melvin in 1878, which is also the date marked on the church. The church has a rectangular shape with a north-facing entrance gable and long three-bay elevations on both the east and west sides. The exterior is finished with harled walls and features tooled and polished ashlar margins and dressings.

The center bay of the north gable projects as a tower, which includes a round-headed entrance leading to a recessed porch. Above this, there is a louvred opening on the second stage and a square open balustraded bellcote topped with shaped angle finials. Flanking the entrance are paired narrow bays defined by shallow margined pilaster strips that clasp the corners and support a simple entablature that returns for one bay. Each side of the porch has two round-headed windows, with two more in the gable head and three similar windows on the east and west elevations. A large wheel window is located in the center of the rear (south) gable. The church features lattice-pane glazing and has a slate roof.

The 1878 addition at the rear is a single-storey, four-bay gabled room constructed of harl pointed rubble with tooled ashlar dressings and 12-pane glazing. It has a ridge stack and a slate roof.

Inside, the church has a galleried interior supported by slender cast-iron columns that rise through the gallery to the ceiling, which is barrel vaulted longitudinally. The gallery has a pine panelled front from 1878 and features a balustraded platform-type pulpit that is accessed by a flight of stairs.

The church houses two bells made by Michael Burgherhys Holland, dated 1637 and 1639, which were removed from the old Alves parish church in 1978 and are now displayed within the church.

The church is enclosed by a simple drystone rubble wall, with an entrance flanked by square gatepiers topped with shallow pyramidal caps, and a pair of cast-iron gates.