St Ternan's Kirk Bell Tower - Arbuthnott, Aberdeenshire.
Posted by: creg-ny-baa
N 56° 51.770 W 002° 19.650
30V E 541002 N 6302318
Stone bell tower dating from 1500, on the west gable of St Ternan's Kirk in the Mearns countryside of Aberdeenshire in eastern Scotland.
Waymark Code: WM13YQN
Location: Northern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/15/2021
Views: 0
St Ternans Kirk is situated in the parish of Arbuthnott, which lies three miles inland from the coastal town of Inverbervie on the east coast of Scotland. Lying within a vast rural area known as The Mearns, the church was built in 1242 and named for St Ternan, who came from the area in Pictish times and became an Abbot in Ireland before moving back to Scotland.
The chancel and part of the nave still survive, but major changes came in 1500, when Sir Robert Arbuthnott of that Ilk added a southern aisle and a bell tower on the western gable.
The bell tower is a round stone construction with small belfry openings and a stone-slab conical spire. Sir Robert dedicated the tower to the church and also gave two bells to ring for services and offices.
The church can be found on a minor road which loops south from the B967 at Arbuthnott and heads down to the wooded valley of the Bervie Water.