Our History

A medieval church dedicated to Saint Ninian was in existence in 1198, but at a much earlier period Christian worship is evidenced by an incised stone discovered when the church was being rebuilt in the 1830s. This intriguing stone is incised with a very early symbol of an equal-armed cross and two rectangles that resemble books, perhaps Bibles one having a clasp, and a small circle which may represent the Host element in the Mass. The present church was rebuilt to a T-plan in 1831-2 then enlarged to a cruciform shape in 1889. The building is now closed as a place of worship, the last service taking place on Sunday 21st April 2024.

In pre-Reformation times (around 1500) a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary was founded by David Strachan of Carmyllie, with Arbroath Abbey supplying monks to officiate at services of worship. The present church is T-shaped, the cross-bar dates from 1609 and probably occupies the same site as the original St Mary’s Chapel. The north aisle which was added in 1863 was enlarged and remodelled internally by James Maclaren in 1873-4. Two stained-glass windows in memory of the Rev. Patrick Bell minister from 1843 till 1860 are in the Arts & Crafts style and made by Stephen Adam in 1908. The Rev. Bell invented a mechanical reaper which he had perfected by 1828, thus ensuring his status as a pioneer of mechanized farming.

Built in 1871 as a chapel of ease for St Vigeans Church, becoming a parish church in 1875 when it was disjoined from St Vigeans. The Rev. Dr William Duke of St Vigeans was the main driving force in getting the chapel of ease built and his monogram is carved into an exterior wall. The church is just about cruciform in shape, the east end projecting only slightly. In 2004 the linked parishes of Arbirlot, Carmyllie and Colliston split with the first two remaining together and Colliston being linked to Friockheim and Inverkeilor. The building is now closed as a place of worship, the last service taking place on the 31st March 2024.

The church in Friockheim was built in 1835, as a chapel of ease for the parish of Kirkden, re-using stones from Dunnichen Chapel. Extended in 1840 to form an L-plan and reconstructed in 1881-2 by the architect William Aitkenhead who was a well-known citizen of Arbroath. It is late Victorian in style and became a parish church in 1870. The tower that contains the entrance has a clock face on its north and south aspects, the clockmaker being James Ritchie & Son, and is dated 1885. The tower had its steeple removed in 1950.

The building is now closed as a place of worship, the last service taking place on Sunday 30th June 2024. Worship services now take place at the Friockheim Community Hub

At Inverkeilor the medieval church dedicated to Saint Conan (known locally as Mochonog) was in existence in 1170, extensively enlarged over time, and restored in 1862 and 1880. The Northesk Aisle situated at the east end of the church was built to entomb and to provide seating for the family of Sir John Carnegie of Ethie, the ancestor of the earls of Northesk. The carved wooden front of the Northesk loft dates from 1635 and a heraldic plaque between the two windows of the south side bears the date 1636.

Abbey Chapel was built in 1797 as a chapel of ease for the parish church of Arbroath, becoming a parish church in 1869 when it disjoined from the Old Parish Church. The Chapel was a plain rectangular box until 1878 when James Maclaren’s design to extend the building to the west by adding a vestibule and gallery stairs was built, then in 1885 a Gothic front was added with a bell-tower. Abbey Church united with the Old Parish Church in 1990. The new hall complex adjoining the old hall was opened on Sunday 1st April 2001 by the minister the Rev. Valerie Allan and dedicated by the Rev. Ian Gough, Moderator of Angus Presbytery. With the closure of the Old and Abbey sanctuary as a place of worship the last service took place on 7th April 2024. However, the well-appointed halls remain open as a mission and administration hub.

Designed by John Rust of Aberdeen and built in 1889 as Inverbrothock Free Church; became Inverbrothock United Free in 1901; became Hopemount Church of Scotland in 1929; in 1959 united with St Ninian’s to become St Andrew’s Church. Architecturally, the church resembles early English Gothic of the fifteenth century. The roof is supported by slender pillars of cast iron, the same material as the pierced front of the single gallery in the east. After closing for a year to facilitate an extensive internal refurbishment, the church opened again for worship on Sunday 1st November 2009.

Pictish Christians worshiped on this site from the first quarter of the 8th century; a church existed from the 9th century; the Church of Aberbrothock or St Vigeans was built in the second quarter of the 12th century; the present church is the result of a major restoration in 1871-2, designed by Robert Rowand Anderson and supervised by the Rev. Dr William Duke. St Vigeans is an ‘A’ listed building. The nationally significant corpus of Pictish stones that once stood upon the church knoll are now superbly displayed in a museum in a repurposed cottage close to the Church.

Originally named St Margaret’s and built in 1879 as a chapel of ease for Inverbrothock Church. Mostly Gothic in design by T. S. Robertson, architect, it is cruciform in shape and built throughout of red sandstone with slate roofs. It became a parish church in 1886, and in 1990 united with Ladyloan St Columba’s Church to become Arbroath: West Kirk. In 2019 West Kirk united with Knox’s Church, this time retaining the West Kirk name. Three stained-glass lancet windows in the north wall of the chancel are particularly striking. A major exterior stonework, windows and roof refurbishment started with planning in 2014, the scaffolding eventually coming down in late 2017.