Church Of Macallan And Burial Ground With Elchies Mausoleum

The site comprises a square burial ground containing 18th and 19th century tombstones, along with the fragmentary remains of a small church and a mausoleum. The church, thought to be of late Medieval origin, may incorporate earlier fabric, with records indicating funds were collected for 'Elchies' Church as early as the 14th century. The parish of Elchies was united with Knockando in the mid-16th century, and the church was referred to as both Elchys or Elchies on earlier 17th-century maps, before appearing as the 'Church of Macallan' on the 1870 Ordnance Survey map.

The mausoleum, dated 1715, is a square building with a symmetrical west frontage of polished ashlar, and harl and pointed rubble elsewhere. It features a central door with a blind panel above, and high-set flanking windows with lintels just below the eaves cornice. Decorative moulded architraves and an eaves cornice are present. The roof is a graded pyramidal shape, covered in local slate, and sits on heavy boulder footings.

Inside the mausoleum, the rubble-walled interior has a carved sandstone mural monument dated 1715 on the rear (east) wall. The monument’s entablature is supported by engaged columns with composite capitals carved with flowers, and is decorated with undercut ribbon moulding, modillions with stylised foliage, and flowers, all in fine condition. A long Latin inscription is positioned below a carved skull and bones, with a reclining skeleton carved in relief on the dado, flanked by crossed bones. An empty vault is located at the centre of the floor, closed by blocks of ashlar.

The mausoleum was erected for John Grant of Easter Elchies, who died in 1715. A Latin inscription details the memorial's construction by Patrick, John Grant’s only son, commemorating his father’s service in the late civil war, his generosity, and his qualities as a family man and neighbour.