St Monans Parish Church - Fife, Scotland.
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creg-ny-baa
N 56° 12.191 W 002° 46.276
30V E 514190 N 6228717
Fourteenth century church, the closest to the sea in Scotland, at the western end of the village of St Monans in the kingdom of Fife.
Waymark Code: WMW382
Location: Northern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/04/2017
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It is widely unknown who St Monan actually was, he could have been a missionary in the Fife area seeing under St Adrian at St.Andrews until murdered by Danish raiders, or he could have been St Moinenn, the Irish bishop of Clonfert Brenain who's relics were brought to fife by Irish monks. But what is known is his relics were buried in a shrine on this spot in 875AD, since then this has been a place of Christian worship.
The current building was built on the orders of King David II in 1362 to a design by Sir William Dishington in an unfinished cruciform shape and completed in 1370, serving as a chapel.
It was badly damaged in 1544 in a navel attack by the English, and in 1646 became a parish church. There were alterations made by William Burn in 1828 and in the 19th century it was roofed in Cumberland slate. Its distinctive white painted interior walls came in 1961 by Ian G Lindsay.
The church is situated at the western end of St Monans, (sometimes referred to as St Monance), and is built of coursed sandstone. It consists of a chancel, crossing and two transepts, no nave was built. The square tower and squat spire are at the western end. The south transept faces the sea which is only yards away, making this the closest church to the coast in Scotland. To continue the seafaring theme, two ships hang from the roof inside.