Kiltarlity and Kirkhill Churches
Our Churches
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Kiltarlity ChurchKiltarlity is named after the Church of St. Talorgain or Talarican. Granted by John Bisset to his newly founded hospital of Rathven, the church of Kiltarlity was confirmed to the uses of the hospital in 1226. In the following year the church was recognised as lying within the diocese of Moray. The patronage thereafter remained annexed to Rathven, its revenues being utilised with those of the hospital and its other annexes to found a prebend of Aberdeen cathedral in 1445. The parish of Kiltarlity was much smaller than that of Convinth, and included the lands of Eskadale, Fanellan and Culburnie. The medieval kirk of Kiltarlity, the ruins of which still exist, lay on the south bank of the River Beauly, just below the Falls of Ess (now the site of a hydroelectric power station), and close by the medieval kirk of Kilmorack, which stood on a bluff on the north side of the river above the same falls. The present parish kirk of Kiltarlity & Convinth is at Tomnacross, formerly in Convinth parish. Kiltarlity and Convinth parishes were united c.1500 (Fasti 468), and the parish today is usually referred to simply as Kiltarlity. Former Ministers of Kiltarlity Kiltarlity and Glen Convinth (or Conveth) were united about 1500
 
Kiltarlity and Kirkhill Churches were linked together in 1982. Kiltarlity linked with Kirkhill is in the Presbytery of Inverness. On the south side of the Beauly Firth the village of Kirkhill lies on the north side of the A863. Its neighbour Kiltarlity lies about four miles further on nearer Beauly on the south side of the A862 off the A833. Both parishes are areas of growth, both having primary schools, post offices and regular bus services. The nearest railway station is at Beauly and most children go to Secondary School or further education in Inverness. |
Kirkhill Church
The
parish of Kirkhill, in Moray, Scotland, was
formerly
called Wardlaw, because the garrison of Lovat were accustomed to keep
watch or ward on the law or hill. Wardlaw church
stood originally at Dunballoch
(NH524449). Early in the 13th century it was transferred to a hillock
then called Balcabrac, which was the Ward-law or Watch-hill for the
Lovats. The site of this church was abandoned in 1790, and is marked by
the Lovat Mausoleum (Fasti 471). It was dedicated to St Mary, and the
hill on which Wardlaw kirk was built is known as Cnoc Mhuire (Fasti
471). Wardlaw was
united with Farnway to form the parish
of
Kirkhill in 1618 (Wardlaw MS, Introduction, xv; also Fasti 471, which
gives the date of the union as 14 July 1618; there is nothing in APS
about this union, while Rev. James Fraser states that the union
occurred in 1614 (Wardlaw MS, 186). The parish kirk of the new united
parish remained on the Ward Law, moving in 1790 from its medieval site
to its present site nearby. The parish
church of St Mary, Farnua, (Farnaway,
Fearnaie) stood at Kirkton, Bunchrew, where there are still some
remains of the churchyard. This graveyard was originally much larger
than the present enclosure and many skeletons have been found over the
years beyond the wall. There is a fragment of the old church
incorporated into the present wall - possibly part of the old east
gable. At the Union of Wardlaw and Farnua 14th July 1618 The name Kirkhill was given to the parish
The manse for the linked parishes is at Kirkhill beside the Church on the main road through the village.
The Wardlaw Mausoleum dates from 1634, although its belfry is of early 18th Century in origin. Having lain in disrepair, it was renovated by Historic Scotland with help from the National Heritage Memorial Fund in 1998. The monument has many features which are unique to it and was the burial place of the Lovat Frasers.
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This
very
attractive part of
Inverness-shire is
popular
because of its proximity to Inverness and yet it maintains the
life and feel of distinctive rural communities with much going for them.
The present Kirkhill
(Wardlaw) Church stands at the heart of the village
on right of the main road
through it.