St Anne’s Church, Dowally

Little Gothic kirk built in 1818, that housed panelling from Dunkeld Cathedral. Closed in 2019, but graveyard still open to visiting public

This handsome little simple Gothic church, with a bright interior, built in 1818 on the site of a 16th-century church, bear a medieval holy well dedicated to St Anne. The designer was probably John Stewart, although the church has been much altered since its construction. The date on the bell and style of the belfry suggest that they both came from the earlier church.

The chancel was decorated with carved screens which were originally in Dunkeld Cathedral and its pipe organ was moved there from Dunkeld Cathedral in 1909. One of the memorials inside the church was to John Robb, a minister of the parish who perished in the shipwreck in which Grace Darling became a national heroine for her participation in efforts to rescue survivors. The church also possessed a jougs collar, once used by the kirk session to publicly humiliate individuals in front of the congregation that had been deemed to have sinned in some way by the minister and elders.

The pretty little church was closed and it and its contents sold by the Church of Scotland in 2019, 201 years after it first opened its doors. The church building is now privately owned but the surrounding graveyard remains in the care of the local authority and is open for visits to the public. It is well worth stopping-by to see the wonderful array of remarkable 18th century memento mori stones in the cemetery, these include this wonderful Adam and Eve stone catalogued by Scottish graveyard expert Betty Willsher.

Scotland's Churches Trust does not own any of the buildings listed in this directory and cannot assist with enquiries relating to any individual churches, these must be sent to the churches themselves. While we cannot be held responsible for any errors, do please let us know if you spot any and we will update the relevant page just as soon as we can.

Community Noticeboard

This is some community noticeboard copy.

Address
Dowally, PH9 0NT

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Services
Church now closed

Opening Arrangements
Church now closed, but graveyard remains in the care of local authority and open to the public

Denomination Former Church of Scotland
Local Authority Perth & Kinross
OS Reference NO 00136 48026
Listing B

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