Meldrum Parish Church, Old Meldrum

Description (exterior)

The church was built in the late 17th century to replace an older structure after the neighbouring parishes of Bethelnie and Meldrum were joined. It is a T-plan structure and has been extended and partially rebuilt a number of times since it was built. It has harled walls with plain granite surrounds, and the roofs are slated. Before major renovation work was carried out in the 1950s there were 6 exterior doors into the church and no internal access to the galleries. Other doors may have been inserted when the church was used as a store during World War 2. 

The north elevation of the church has three pointed-arch windows with simple intersecting tracery and dark granite arch stones. The east gable has a wide pointed-arch window with tracery and stained glass with contrasting light and dark granite surrounds to the arch. Above is a slim, oval, louvered vent opening and there is a small round stone finial on the apex. The west gable of the church essentially matches the east. At the north end of the east gable is attached a tall, narrow gabled stair tower with thin rectangular windows. Alongside is a small, flat-roofed porch with a rectangular doorway in the north face and a rectangular case and sash window to the east.

The south elevation of Meldrum Church has a tall, rectangular window with clear multi-glazing on either side of the large central aisle. This aisle dominates the south aspect of the church and is of a later date to the nave and has slightly different architectural detailing. The south gable of the aisle has a large, recessed pointed-arch window to the centre with lancet and round openings. Below the window are two recessed shoulder-arched recesses, which may have been designed to hold memorial panels. There is a an oval vent in the gablehead, similar to that in the east gable, and the base of a finial survives, but the rest has been lost. At the west corner of the gable is a tall, gabled bellcote with a lancet opening, in which hangs a large bell. It is supported by buttressing on the gable end. The sides of the south aisle have small rectangular windows, with a shoulder-arched door situated on the east side.