Balquhidder Parish Church, Balquhidder

Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority

David Bryce with John, James and William Hay (see Notes), 1853-5. 5-bay, roughly rectangular-plan Gothic Parish Church of rather squat proportions with a dominant steep roof, substantial gabled porch, 2-tier belfry on W gablehead, battered base course and buttresses, lean-to vestry to rear and cusped pointed-arch lights. Balquhidder church is well-detailed, almost unaltered and occupies a prominent position at the heart of Balquhidder. There has been a church on or near this site since the early medieval period, and the village of Balquhidder is properly called the Kirktown of Balquhidder.

A substantial gabled porch is situated on S elevation: 3 steps lead to the pointed-arch entrance which is stop-chamfered and has a hood mould. The bays on the N and S elevations are marked by cusped lights and divided by battered buttresses. There is also a blocked eaves course to these elevations. On the W elevation is a 3-light window of cusped lancets grouped under a pointed arch which springs from flanking buttresses. At the gable apex is a shouldered, 2-tier belfry of 3 cusped arches, only one of which now holds a bell. The E elevation has two cusped lancets flanking a central shouldered buttress; at the gable apex is a trefoil light. Above the lean-to vestry on the N elevation is a gabled dormer window rising from the eaves of the main body of the church. The gables all have corbelled skewputts and ashlar-coped skews.

Interior: arch-braced timber ceiling supported on stone corbels; timber gallery at E end; carved pine pulpit and other fittings. The font is an ancient roughly-hewn bowl-shaped stone on 1917 carved plinth. The St Angus Stone, which is propped against the N wall, is 8th or 9th century and is believed to be the gravestone of St Angus who brought Christianity to the glen. It is carved with a figure of the saint, holding the cup of salvation.

Materials: 2-leaf timber-boarded main door with strap hinges; timber-boarded door to vestry. Coursed, bull-faced sandstone with polished dressings, which were cut and carted from Queensferry. Graded greenish slate; decorative red terracotta ridge tiles.

Churchyard with Boundary Wall, Stile and War Memorial: Notable collection of gravestones and burial enclosures. Numerous grave slabs of early date, some with noteworthy sculpture. The burial place of Rob Roy and family is just E of the Old Kirk. Random rubble boundary wall; retaining wall with stile to S of churchyard. War Memorial by George Washington Browne, circa 1920.