Auld St Peter's Kirk is a ruined parish church on Wilson Lane, in Thurso, Caithness, Scotland. Dedicated to Saint Peter, it dates to at least 1125, and at one time was the principal church for the county, administered by the Bishops of Caithness. [1] It became a scheduled monument in 1929 [2] and from 1975 until 2016 it was also a Category A listed building. [3]
The church of Thurso is dedicated to Saint Peter. Though unnamed in the charter of Bishop Gilbert, it was one of the six reserved by him to the bishopric. Early in the 16th century, the vicarage of Thorso was held by Sir John Mathesoun chancellor of Caithness, on whose demission or otherwise Queen Mary in 1547 presented Master John Craig to the benefice. Master Walter Innes, who appears in record in 1554, was vicar of Thurso in 1560, and continued to hold the vicarage between 1561 and 1566. About 1567, John Rag was minister, and in 1574, Alexander Urquhart was minister of Olrik and Thurso, and John Davidsoun was reader at Thurso. In 1641, Alexander Monro, minister at Durnoch had from King Charles I, a grant of 800 marks Scots or of eight chalders victual in augmentation of his stipend from the rents of the bishopric in the parish of Thurso and elsewhere.
Old St Peter's, still standing, was disused since 1832 when a replacement church was built for the parish. [4] That church, St Andrew's and St Peter's, is of Gothic style and was built to a design by William Burn. [5]
It is cruciform and in the pointed style. A 1726 record states, "Above a vault looking into the east end of the church is a session house, but by the permission of the kirk session, it is used by the sheriff and magistrates of Thurso for a court house and prison; and above a dungeon likewise allowed them is a steeple and common clock". [4] The now roofless structure was built using local rubble stone. [6]
The structure is situated on the left bank of the River Thurso, close to the seafront. It is enclosed behind a rubble-slab wall. [6] A complaint was made in 1786 regarding dung and rubbish being dumped on graves. [1] In 2013, five gravestones were toppled and smashed. [1]
Thurso is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the Scottish mainland.
Halkirk is a village on the River Thurso in Caithness, in the Highland council area of Scotland. From Halkirk the B874 road runs towards Thurso in the north and towards Georgemas in the east. The village is within the parish of Halkirk, and is said by locals to be Scotland's first planned village.
Caithness is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland.
A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage.
Wick is a town and royal burgh in Caithness, in the far north of Scotland. The town straddles the River Wick and extends along both sides of Wick Bay. "Wick Locality" had a population of 6,954 at the time of the 2011 census, a decrease of 3.8% from 2001.
Reay Parish Church is a Church of Scotland parish church serving Reay, Caithness. It is one of the most northerly communities on the Scottish mainland, located several miles to west of Thurso. The largest local employer is the Dounreay nuclear facility.
Robert Pont (1529–1606) was a Church of Scotland minister, judge and reformer. He was a church minister and commissioner and a Senator of the College of Justice.
Thurso East is a coastline section of the Atlantic 0.5 miles (0.80 km) east of Thurso, Caithness, northern Scotland. It is situated at the mouth of the River Thurso, overlooked by the remains of Thurso Castle. The reef is made of layers of Caithness flagstone. It is Scotland's prime surfing venue on the north coast.
The Bishop of Caithness was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of Caithness, one of Scotland's 13 medieval bishoprics. The first referenced bishop of Caithness was Aindréas, a Gael who appears in sources between 1146 and 1151 as bishop. Aindréas spent much if not all of his career outside his see.
Pulteneytown Parish Church is located in Argyle Square, Pulteneytown, Wick, Caithness, Scotland. It is a congregation in the Church of Scotland.
Kilaulay is a crofting township on the island of South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Kilaulay is located on the north-west corner of the island, situated about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Eochar. Kilaulay is also within the parish of South Uist.
Thomas Tulloch [de Tulloch] was a prelate active in the Kingdom of Scotland in the 15th century. A letter of Pope Martin V in 1429 claimed that he was "of a great noble race by both parents". Robert Keith believed that he had the surname "Urquhart", but that is not supported by the contemporary evidence and is probably spurious.
Glenorchy Parish Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland in the village of Dalmally, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is the parish church of the parish of Glenorchy and Inishail. The church is also known as Glenorchy Kirk, and was historically known as the Church of Dysart. There have been many alternate spellings, including "Dysert", "Disart", "Glenwrquha", "Glenvrquha", "Glenvrquhay", "Clachandysert", "Clachan Disert, "Claghan-Diseirt" and "Dysart and Glenurquhie".
Whalsay Parish Church or Whalsay Kirk is a Church of Scotland parish church on the island of Whalsay, Shetland Islands, Scotland. It lies to the north of the village of Brough, on the southern part of a promontory known as Kirk Ness, connected to the mainland by a neck of land. It is the main burial ground for villagers of Whalsay. It is one of three churches in the Parish of Nesting, the others being at Nesting and Lunnesting. The church is a category B Listed Building.
St John's Church is located in St John's, Woking, England. The church is in the parish of St John's, Diocese of Guildford, which in turn is in the Province of Canterbury. The local village is named after the church.
Thurso Castle is a ruined 19th-century castle, located in Thurso, Caithness, in the Scottish Highlands. Situated in Thurso East, off Castletown Road, east of the River Thurso, the site can be seen from across the river. The current castle ruins date to 1872; A large part was demolished in 1952, although there has been a fortress here since the 12th century. Part of the castle is still habitable and remains a home of the Viscounts Thurso.
St Peter's and St Andrew's Church is located on Princes Street in Thurso, Caithness, Scotland. The church was built to a design of William Burn in 1830–2, a simplified version of the Church of St John the Evangelist, Edinburgh, which is also attributed to Burn.
Halkirk Auld Kirk is a former parish church in Halkirk, Caithness, Scotland. Built in 1753, it stopped being used in 1934 and is now a ruin. Halkirk parish was formed at the time of the Reformation by the union of the Halkirk and Skinnet districts. The "Halkirk Village Old Parish Church And Burial Ground" is a category B listed building.
Pulteneytown Central Church was founded in 1806 in the Pulteneytown area of Wick in Caithness in the far north of Scotland. As years went by, it was renamed Pulteneytown Free Church. It then became a United Free Church in 1900 and became a Church of Scotland from 1929 known as Wick Central Church until its closure in 1990 upon union with Pulteneytown and Thrumster Parish Church.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : W. Anderson and J. Robertson's "Origines Parochiales Scotiae: pt. 1. Diocese of Argyle. Diocese of the Isles" (1855)
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