Killin Parish Church

Killin Parish Church

Killin Parish Church was built in 1744 to a design probably by John Douglas, with the mason Thomas Clark signing and dating the work on a plaque mounted on the North elevation. The church was constructed to replace an older building formerly situated near the present graveyard. It is composed of white harl with grey margins.

The building originally followed a rare octagonal plan, which distinguishes it from many contemporary churches. This original form has been largely masked by later additions and alterations, most notably a scheme of 1831–2 which enlarged the East and West elevations. The louvred cupola from the original design remains visible. Despite these later changes, the church remains a good example of an 18th-century ecclesiastical building and continues as an active Church of Scotland building.

The main entrance is on the West elevation, which was widened to the North in the 1831–2 works. A centrally-placed two-leaf door with a keystoned clerestory window above is flanked by a pair of smaller windows. The North elevation features a bellcote containing a bell dated 1632 by Robert Hog, mounted on the central projecting gable. Below this, at clerestory level, is Thomas Clark's signature plaque inscribed 'THO.CLARK.THE BUILDER.OF.THIS.CHURCH 1744'. The South elevation most visibly retains evidence of the original octagonal plan, with a central tripartite bay window containing long keystoned round-headed windows. A later projecting single-storey addition to the East end was rebuilt in 2004 with a corrugated iron roof. The windows are predominantly round-headed with simple Y-tracery. Grey slate roofing covers the building. A section of rubble stone boundary wall stands to the South West.

Internally, the church features painted walls and ceiling. A flat-roofed vestibule provides entrance. The ceiling is supported by two fluted cast-iron columns added during the 1831–2 works. A laird's loft to the North has a panelled balcony with engaged pilasters. The pulpit, originally positioned at the South end, has been relocated to the East end of the church, where an oak communion table also stands.

An exceptional seven-sided medieval stone font, mounted on a later polygonal stone shaft and base, is positioned near the communion table at the East end. The font is noted as remarkable—at the time of writing in the Proceedings of the Antiquaries of Scotland, the author was not aware of another seven-sided font in Scotland. The font had previously lain half-buried in the graveyard before being brought into the church. Windows mostly feature simple coloured glass panels, though three stained glass windows are present: a small stained glass panel to the West, a window to the East dated 1901, and a South-facing window by R Douglas McLundie of 1948. The interior is furnished with timber pews.

Thomas Clark also built chapels-of-ease at Ardeonaig and Strathfillan (Kirkton), neither of which survives. The graveyard is located to the North of the church and is listed separately.