Banchory Ternan East Parish Church

Banchory Ternan East Parish Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland, a member of the Presbyterian Church. The church building is located in Station Road, Banchory, Kincardineshire, Scotland. The church today serves the east parish of the town of Banchory in Royal Deeside. HistoryOver 1, 500 years ago, Saint Ternan brought Christianity to Banchory with the erection of a monastery. As well as preaching the Christian gospel, he and his followers taught the local people farming, arts, and crafts. In AD 1143, the Abbot of Arbroath received a grant of land from William the Lion which extended as far as Banchory. A new settlement was created near the churchyard, and a church, school, and houses were built. From that period there was a continuous Christian presence in Banchory with several churches being built in succession. One such church was opened in 1664 /65; the bell from this church now hangs in the old Watchtower in the graveyard. That church was demolished and a new one built in 1775, but it proved to be too small for the growing congregation and was dismantled in 1824. The stones were used in the construction of the present church in 1825. The 1825 churchJohn Smith was the architect of Banchory Ternan East Church, and his 1825 plans showing the seating arrangements for the heritors and their tenants are held by the congregation. The style of the building is very typical of his work: the ogee profile of the coping stones on the front boundary wall is his personal "trade mark" being found on most of his buildings.

Banchory Ternan East Parish Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland, a member of the Presbyterian Church. The church building is located in Station Road, Banchory, Kincardineshire, Scotland. The church today serves the east parish of the town of Banchory in Royal Deeside. HistoryOver 1, 500 years ago, Saint Ternan brought Christianity to Banchory with the erection of a monastery. As well as preaching the Christian gospel, he and his followers taught the local people farming, arts, and crafts. In AD 1143, the Abbot of Arbroath received a grant of land from William the Lion which extended as far as Banchory. A new settlement was created near the churchyard, and a church, school, and houses were built. From that period there was a continuous Christian presence in Banchory with several churches being built in succession. One such church was opened in 1664 /65; the bell from this church now hangs in the old Watchtower in the graveyard. That church was demolished and a new one built in 1775, but it proved to be too small for the growing congregation and was dismantled in 1824. The stones were used in the construction of the present church in 1825. The 1825 churchJohn Smith was the architect of Banchory Ternan East Church, and his 1825 plans showing the seating arrangements for the heritors and their tenants are held by the congregation. The style of the building is very typical of his work: the ogee profile of the coping stones on the front boundary wall is his personal "trade mark" being found on most of his buildings.