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The roofless old kirk of St Congan in Turriff, its bellcote on the east gable.
Aberdeenshire

St Congan's Old Church, Turriff

Turriff's ruined old church, with a double bellcote of 1635 and a bell of 1556.

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Welcome

Christians may have worshipped on this site in Turriff since the seventh century.

A church is said to have been built here in the eleventh by King Malcolm III, and in the thirteenth the lands were given to Arbroath Abbey by Marjory, Countess of Buchan.

The ruins standing now are of the fifteenth-century church, and they show a building unusually long and narrow. The finest thing is the east gable, part of the old choir, which carries a splendid double bellcote dated 1635 with the Hay family's coat of arms, and still holds a bell cast in 1556. Beneath it is an eighteenth-century clock that came from Carnousie nearby, and a carved stone showing ten heads, probably from a medieval almshouse that once stood close by.

It stands in its old kirkyard in the town, among the gravestones of generations of Turriff folk, and makes a quiet stop on a walk round the town with the museum. There is on-street parking nearby.

Round the cornerTurriff Museum and Heritage CentreTurriff's story, the Turra Coo and a corner given to Doric, kept by the town's volunteers.1 min by roadSee itThe red sandstone front of the Auld Post Office Museum in Turriff under its blue sign.
Before you go

In the old kirkyard in Turriff, open at any time.

On-street parking nearby.

Where
Turriff.
Parking
On the street.
Where it is

Turriff.

Close byAround Turriff.
  1. Delgatie Castle's tower rising above bare winter trees.Delgatie Castle2 miles5 min by road
  2. Fyvie Castle's towered front across the lawn, framed by dark trees.Fyvie Castle8 miles15 min by road
  3. Tall copper pot stills in the stillhouse at the GlenDronach Distillery.The GlenDronach DistilleryA distillery of two hundred years in a quiet glen near Huntly, known for richly sherried malts.9 miles12 min by road
  4. Fishing boats moored in the basin of Macduff harbour under a clear sky.Macduff HarbourA working harbour and boatyard begun in the 1770s, looking across the bay to Banff.11 miles16 min by road
  5. Visitors walking towards a glass-fronted blue building beneath a rocky overhangMacduff Marine AquariumMacduff Marine Aquarium showcases the impressive array of sea life which can be found in Scotland’s largest bay, the Moray Firth11 miles16 min by road
Directions
The red sandstone front of the Auld Post Office Museum in Turriff under its blue sign.AttractionsTurriff Museum and Heritage Centre0.2 miles
The stone front of an old Banff building, its tall windows with carved surrounds.AttractionsBanff and Macduff Heritage Trail11 miles
An old ship's anchor set above Macduff harbour and the sea.CafeThe Platform and Annie's Cakery11 miles
Symmetrical stone mansion with twin staircases and tall corner chimneys, set on open lawnAttractionsDuff House12 miles
PETAL the store, MorayshireShoppingPETAL the store12 miles
Banff Bay from the hill, the sandy shore curving round to the town.AttractionsBanff12 miles
A single-storey lodge with a slated roof sits behind a stone wall and clipped hedge, mature trees shading the curving drive.RothiemayGate LodgeSleeps 2 · 13 miles
A triangular timber cabin stands behind a wooden gate and post-and-rail fence, bare trees framing the entrance.RothiemayMidparkSleeps 2 · 13 miles
A stone cottage with a slated roof and a blue front door, climbing roses in pink and white flanking the porch.AberdeenshireButlers CottageSleeps 4 · 13 miles
Stay nearby

Places to stay near St Congan's Old Church, Turriff, and when each is next free.

A single-storey lodge with a slated roof sits behind a stone wall and clipped hedge, mature trees shading the curving drive.Gate Lodge
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Rothiemay
  • 9 miles from St Congan's Old Church, Turriff
Check datesA triangular timber cabin stands behind a wooden gate and post-and-rail fence, bare trees framing the entrance.Midpark
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Rothiemay
  • 9 miles from St Congan's Old Church, Turriff
Free 30 Oct – 1 NovA stone cottage with a slated roof and a blue front door, climbing roses in pink and white flanking the porch.Butlers Cottage
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Aberdeenshire
  • 9 miles from St Congan's Old Church, Turriff
Free 17–19 OctA grey stone cottage with dormer windows and a black front door, climbing roses either side, set behind a lawn.Bailies Cottage
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Rothiemay
  • 9 miles from St Congan's Old Church, Turriff
Free 26–28 OctPlaces to stayEvery stay in AberdeenshireAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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