Kincardine Kirk and Tulloch Moor

The Kirk of Kincardine is in  a very tranquil setting close to the Spey between Street of Kincardine and Colylum Bridge. It is approached  by a short track from the B970 north of Pityoulish. The Barony of Kincardine was held by Stewarts from 1374 to 1683 and covered the whole of Glenmore and the Kincardine Braes.

Grey Granite visited the kirk with the intention of photographing the leper's squint but was charmed by the setting and pleased to be able to enter the kirk which has an interesting history, outlined on an information board in the porch.

The attractive gateway to Kincardine kirkyard.

The immense tree on the left is a single laburnum  which must be centuries old, there are also several ancient  yews in the kirkyard.

Although Grey Granite was unable to find it, the kirkyard is said to contain a stone in memory of Sir Walter Stewart, grandson of Robert 11. He was the third son of the Wolf of Badenoch and was knighted for his success at the Battle of Harlaw  Grey Granite's interest in this arose from the tomb of Gilbert de Greenlaw,  who fell at Harlaw, which she recently came upon at Kinkell.

The east wall of the kirk, the small rectangular window is a lepers' squint.

Lepers' squints were features of pre-reformation kirks,enabling lepers to participate in the mass without infecting other worshippers. It is probable that there has been  a place of worship on this site since the 7th century. The foundations of the current building date from the 12th century. During the 15th century the building was partly destroyed when a group of  raiding Cummings took refuge in the kirk, from a group of perusing Shaws bent on revenge. The Shaws were reluctant to desecrate the church building but fired a burning arrow into the heather thatched roof. All but one of the Cummings died in the fire. (Other version of this story cite Stewarts and Grants as the protagonists in this incident.)

Rufus beside a mortsafe at the south gable of the kirk. A second mortsafe is hung on the wall outside the kirk door.

This hollowed out stone is thought to be a font in use long before before the Reformation, at which point it may have been ejected from the Kirk. Grey Granite has read of this stone this described, erroneously, as this photograph shows, as' a dew cup which does not dry out'. 

Commemorative window in the north wall of the kirk

Grey Granite isn't sure if this amazing stove is still how the kirk is heated.

A dwarf elder bush,  (Sambucus ebulus) this particular bush growing on the approach road to the kirk,  was recorded as growing here in 1875  and is known as the ''Baron Lady's Flower'   The information panel in the kirk porch describes  how,  according to tradition, it was a death bed wish of  the wife of the 5th Baron of Kincardine,  a daughter of Cameron of Lochiel, that she be buried in her native soil. This bush is said to have grown from seeds contained earth brought from Lochaber for her burial. The species is rare on Speyside but relatively common in Lochaber. 

After leaving the kirkyard we walked for a short distance over Tulloch Moor before being defeated by torrential showers which brought snow to the high tops of the Cairngorms.

Stag's-horn Clubmoss (Lycopodium clavatum) growing among bear berry on Tulloch moor.