Logie Kirk facts for kids
Logie Kirk is a special church. It's hidden in a quiet spot. You can find it near Stirling in central Scotland. It sits below a hill called Dumyat. This church serves people in areas like Cambuskenneth and Bridge of Allan. It also helps people from the Stirling University area. The church is part of the Church of Scotland. You can find it on the B998 road. It's between the famous Wallace Monument and Blairlogie.
The Old Church of Logie
Logie Kirk is one of the oldest Christian places in Scotland. It was first started a very long time ago. This was between 1124 and 1153. A church for St Serf was built here by 1183. The church was rebuilt in 1380. It was used until after the Reformation in 1560.
The ruins you see today are from a church built after 1560. This was for Rev Alexander Fargy. He was the minister from 1560 to 1592. The church was in ruins by 1684. Rev George Shaw then helped rebuild it. A builder named Tobias Bauchop from Alloa did the work.
The minister's house, called a manse, was built around 1590. It was in the grounds of Airthrey Castle. A new manse was built in 1698.
The old church was once linked to a priory at North Berwick. This was under the Dunblane Cathedral. After the Reformation, Robert, Lord Elphinstone, became its patron.
The remains of the original church are north of the current one. You can find them at 56°09′03″N 3°54′32″W / 56.15072°N 3.90875°W. The small churchyard has many old gravestones. Some are from the 12th century. Several important people are buried here:
- General Sir James Edward Alexander (1803–1885)
- John Campbell (died 1715), a Highlander killed in the nearby Battle of Sheriffmuir
- Prof William Jolly Duncan FRS (1894–1960)
- Rev Alexander Fargy (died 1592)
- Very Rev Alexander Hume (1558-1609)
- The Graham family from Airthrey Castle
- William York Macgregor RSA (1855–1923), a landscape artist
The Current Logie Kirk
The church building you see today was built in 1805. Rev Robert Clason (who died in 1831) oversaw its building. The land was given by Sir Robert Abercromby of Airthrey. A new manse was also built at the same time. The architect for both was William Stirling from Dunblane. The church has been updated several times since then.
Many notable people are buried in the churchyard of the current Logie Kirk:
- Surgeon-General George Bidie (1830–1913)
- Robert Lindsay Galloway (1844-1908), a mine engineer
- Rev Dr John Arnott MacCulloch, a minister and expert on myths
- Major General Thomas Poblerton (1807–1889)
- Edmund Pullar (1848–1926) from Pullars of Perth
- Frederick Pullar FRSE (1875–1901) and his father Laurence Pullar FRSE (1838–1926). They have a beautiful monument by George Frampton.
- Very Rev David Smith, who was the leader of the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1985 and 1986.
- James Stark (statistician) FRSE (1811–1890), who helped create vital statistics.
Ministers of Logie Kirk
Many ministers have served Logie Kirk over the centuries. Here are some of them:
- Alexander Fargy served from 1560 to 1592.
- Very Rev Alexander Hume served from 1597 to 1609. He was famous for his poetry. He was also a leader of the General Assembly.
- Rev Henry Shaw served from 1615 to 1648.
- His son, Rev George Shaw, became minister in 1648. He served until 1688. This meant the Shaw family was connected to the church for 73 years!
- During a difficult time from 1688 to 1690, Rev Alexander Douglass was appointed. But Shaw did not want to leave. So Douglass preached from another hall.
- Shaw retired in 1690. Alexander Douglas then properly became the minister. He served until 1720.
- Rev James Wright (1720-1800) served from 1761. He was an unpopular choice.
- Rev Robert Clason served from 1801 until 1831. His son, Very Rev Patrick Clason, later became a leader of the Free Church of Scotland.
- Rev William Robertson served from 1832 to 1843. He then moved to Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh.
- Rev Robert John Johnstone served from 1844 to 1871.
- Rev Robert Menzies Fergusson served from 1885 until at least 1909.
- Rev David Smith (1923-1997) served from 1965 to 1989. He was also the leader of the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1985 and 1986.
- Rev David D Scott served from 1990 to 1999.
- Rev Stuart Fulton served until 2017.
- Rev Ruth Halley served from 2017 to 2019.
- Rev Jan Steyn has served since 2022.
