Image: The Old Kirk of Weem by Richard Hoare, 5 September 2016, sourced from Wikimedia Commons and licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
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A small old kirk preserves Gothic openings, armorial sculpture and an exceptional Menzies monument after its conversion from parish worship to mausoleum.
Quick facts
- Date
- Possibly circa 1488; altered 1609 and 1614; re-roofed circa 1935
- Architect / designer
- Traditionally associated with Sir Robert Menzies; individual masons unrecorded
- Type
- T-plan medieval and early-modern church adapted as a family mausoleum
- Designation
- Listed building, Category A (LB17815)
- OS grid reference
- NN 84296 49797
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
Rubble walls form a T-plan beneath a western bellcote. Gothic windows, roll-moulded doors and dated armorial work lead to an interior dominated by the richly carved Menzies altar tomb of 1616.
Its story
An earlier church is recorded in the parish, while the present building is often associated with Sir Robert Menzies around 1488. Work dated 1609 and 1614 enriched the fabric; after replacement as a parish church it continued as the Menzies mausoleum.
Why it is included
Category A status recognises exceptional ecclesiastical, sculptural and family-historical interest within the wider Castle Menzies landscape.
What to notice
- Gothic windows in the end gables.
- Dated armorial panels above the doorways.
- The 1616 Menzies altar monument when authorised access is available.
Reading the surroundings
The kirk is a mausoleum and burial place, not an unrestricted attraction. Check access arrangements locally, treat graves with care and do not enter if the building is closed.
Timeline
- Circa 1488 Tradition associates Sir Robert Menzies with construction of the surviving kirk.
- 1609 A dated campaign altered an entrance and other fabric.
- 24 January 1616 The richly sculptured Menzies altar monument recorded its completion date.
- Circa 1935 A new roof protected the old kirk and its monuments.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The circa-1488 construction date is traditional rather than fixed by a surviving dated building contract.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Weem Old Parish Kirk, LB17815 — Designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove: Weem Old Parish Kirk — Current mausoleum use, measured description, historical notes and related archives.
- Aberfeldy, Dull and Weem Local Place Plan — Current community heritage context identifying the old kirk within the Aberfeldy area.
Location
OS grid reference NN 84296 49797 · Location confidence: High: the national designation supplies an official mapped National Grid Reference; the independent source confirms the Place relationship, history or current identity. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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