Description

The monument consists of the remains of King Edward old parish church and burial ground. It is believed that there was a church here from at least 1124 but reports of two symbol stone fragments found in the churchyard suggests that there was an earlier religious foundation on the site. The burial ground is surrounded by a wall and this has an arched gateway dated 1621. The church and burial ground are located in a loop of the Burn of King Edward at about 35m above sea level. 

The original church building had a rectangular-plan and was orientated to the east. It was lengthened in 1570, and a south aisle was added in 1619. The main body of the church measures 7.3m north to south, with an estimated length of at least 21m east-west, with walls about 1m thick. The aisle projects about 8m from the south wall and this has a doorway through its south wall with an armorial panel to John Urquhart above it. A 19th-century stone roofed burial vault has been built within the nave near the west end. 

The church has been considerably remodelled in the 17th and 18th centuries, but there are significant sections of medieval fabric surviving to full height, consisting of the west gable and part of the adjoining walls. The west gable has a round-arched, segmental-headed entrance with a roll moulding. Above this are inserted armorial tablets and an ogee-headed niche, and a later gallery window. The belfry of 1619 has fallen but has been replaced by a reconstruction based on the original. There is a blocked segmental-headed entrance in the south wall of the nave and surviving in the north wall is a small pointed-arched window with deeply splayed jambs. The east end of the church has been removed but the location of north chancel wall is indicated by a now free-standing arched wall tomb with thistle ornament. It formerly housed the ledger slab of Beatrix Innes of Auchintoul, Lady Cromarty, died 1590. The gateway to the burial ground has a round-headed arched rubble entrance with roll-moulded jambs. It is surmounted by carved finialled gable with a 1621 datestone on outer face and an armorial with motto 'I hope' on inner face of archway. 

The scheduled area is irregular. It includes the remains described above and an area around within which evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map. 

The stone arched gateway in the northwest corner of the burial ground is included in the scheduling. The metal gates within the gateway, except for the metalwork physically attached to the gateway, are specifically excluded from the scheduling to allow for their maintenance. The scheduled area runs up to but does not include the boundary wall east of the gateway, along the north of the graveyard. The scheduling runs up to but does not include the boundary wall on the west. All remaining boundary walls are included in the scheduling.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a church, albeit incomplete, dating from the 12th century and possibly occupying the site of an early Christian foundation linked to St Aidan. As such it preserves evidence and has the potential to provide further evidence, through a combination of archaeological excavation and historical research, which may clarify the ground-plan, and construction phases of the present church and indicate the precise location of an earlier structure. In addition, analysis of any evidence retrieved would add to our understanding of ecclesiastical architecture, burial practices and parish development in Scotland during the Middle Ages.

Certain lengths of the boundary walling defining the burial ground have been excluded from the schedule as they are relatively modern reconstructions. 

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation

Canmore

https://canmore.org.uk/site/19240/
https://canmore.org.uk/site/319955/

Source: Historic Environment Scotland