Undiscovered Scotland

 

East of Invergordon the B817 runs along the north shore of the Cromarty Firth. Just after it leaves the shore at Nigg Bay to head off to meet the A9, the road passes the raised site of Kilmuir Easter Church.

With the body of the church attached to an obviously older and smaller eastern extension and a small bell tower, Kilmuir Easter Church is very reminiscent of Leuchars Church. However, while the east end of Leuchars Church dates back to the 1100s, the east end of Kilmuir Easter carries an inscription on the pencil-like belfry suggesting it was part of an earlier church on the site built in 1616.

The main body of the church was built in 1798 and comprises a large box with a gallery at the west end. Internally its main attraction comes from the unity of the colour and design of the woodwork, and especially the curved beams linking the line of the top of the windows with that of the ceiling. The pulpit is particularly attractive and the overall atmosphere of the church is a warm and uplifting one.

The east end of the interior simply concludes with a blind arch with a rose window above it. There is no door between the body of the church and the older structure beyond the east gable: though rather oddly the rose window does link the two together.

The older structure was turned into a burial aisle after the 1798 church was built. Much of the current appearance of the church, including the shape of the windows, dates back to alterations carried out in 1903. The interior was also reconfigured at the same time.

Externally, Kilmuir Easter Church is surrounded by a graveyard that descends terraces to the south and the passing road. To the north of the church is a burial enclosure, while a further two are built against the east wall of the graveyard.