Cramond Kirk

Cramond Kirk is a church situated in the middle area Cramond parish, in the north west of Edinburgh, Scotland. Built on the site of an old Roman fort,[1] parts of the Cramond Kirk building date back to the fourteenth century and the church tower is considered to be the oldest part.[2]

Cramond Kirk

Next door to the Kirk there is the Manse which has been a home for the Minister of Cramond Kirk for centuries. The existing Manse was constructed in three parts, as extensions were needed to the original building.[3]

History

The pre-Reformation church was dedicated to St Columba and fell under the control of the Bishop of Dunkeld rather than the much closer religious centres of Holyrood Abbey or St Cuthberts (both in Edinburgh]].[4]

The existing church mainly dates from 1656 but incorporates a 15th-century tower and stands on the site of a medieval church which had become ruinous by 1500. It was used from 1573 onwards. However, it is noteworthy that the said medieval church stood on the site of the temple within the former Roman fort at Cramond. The latter (probably built around 100AD) was abandoned by the Romans around 300AD, however, all evidence would point to the Roman structure surviving and being rededicated to Christian worship at some point. Although not having a claim to "continuous use for Christian worship" it has had broken use as a place of worship for 1900 years making it one of the most significant religious sites in Scotland.[5]

The church was enlarged in 1701, partly to incorporate the Barnton burial vault to the east. A castellated entrance porch was added in 1811 and a major remodelling was undertaken in 1828 by Edinburgh architect William Burn. A further remodelling took place in 1851 by David Bryce. In 1911 the church was lengthened and most of the internal structures of galleries etc. were rebuilt.

Ministers

References

Citations
  1. "Cramond Kirk". www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk.
  2. "Welcome to Cramond Kirk" (PDF). cramondkirk.org.uk.
  3. "Cramond Kirk | The Mystery of Cramond Manse". www.cramondkirk.org.uk. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  4. Scott 1915.
  5. Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh by Gifford, McWilliam and Walker

Sources

55.9777°N 3.3000°W / 55.9777; -3.3000

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