St Ninian's Chapel, Braemar facts for kids
St Ninian's Chapel is a special church building in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It's a historic building, known as a Grade B listed building, and it belongs to the Scottish Episcopal Church. You can find it on the beautiful grounds of the Mar Lodge Estate.
This chapel was built between 1895 and 1898. It was first used as a private chapel for the family of Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, who owned Mar Lodge. Since 1899, the chapel has been owned by the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney within the Scottish Episcopal Church. St Ninian's Chapel is the church furthest west in this Diocese.
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History of St Ninian's Chapel
St Ninian's Chapel has always been closely connected to Mar Lodge and the families who owned it over the years.
How the Chapel Was Built
St Ninian's Chapel was built at the same time as Mar Lodge. Queen Victoria herself laid the first stone for Mar Lodge on October 15, 1895. The main house was finished in 1898.
The person who designed both Mar Lodge and St Ninian's Chapel was an architect named Alexander Marshall Mackenzie. Queen Victoria liked his design for Crathie Kirk (another church built in 1893). Because of this, she suggested him to her grandson-in-law, Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife.
Building the chapel was part of the larger "Mar Lodge and Chapel" project. The total cost for the Lodge, stables, and chapel was about £38,661. The chapel itself cost around £761. Work started in November 1895 and finished in August 1898.
Soon after St Ninian's Chapel was completed, the Duke of Fife gave ownership of the chapel to the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney. This happened in January 1899. Since then, the chapel has been owned by the Diocese.
The Chapel's Private Use
Many important guests, including members of the Royal Family, visited Mar Lodge. It was one of the most popular places for Royals to visit in Scotland, besides Balmoral Castle.
During the hunting season, the Duke of Fife would host parties for his guests, tenants, and workers. The chapel was likely used regularly by the Duke's family and their visitors for church services.
The 1st Duke of Fife passed away in 1912. His eldest daughter, Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife, inherited the Mar Estate. St Ninian's Chapel continued to be used as a private chapel until 1959. We don't have records of the services held during this time.
When the 2nd Duchess of Fife died in 1959, the Mar Estate faced huge taxes. Because of this, a large part of the estate had to be sold. It was split into two parts: Mar Lodge Estate (north of the River Dee) and Mar Estate (south of the river). The Mar Lodge Estate was eventually sold to a property company. It changed hands a few times before the National Trust for Scotland bought it in 1995.
What Does St Ninian's Chapel Look Like?
Where is the Chapel Located?
St Ninian's Chapel is located on the grounds of the Mar Lodge Estate. This estate was once a hunting lodge and home to the Duke and Duchess of Fife. The chapel and lodge are in a countryside setting, near a road that runs through the valley. The chapel is inside a large walled garden area, separated by a metal fence.
Outside the Chapel
St Ninian's Chapel is a small, rectangular building. It has a porch on its south side. It was built using large, red granite blocks. The special cut stones came from the Hill of Fare Banchory, and the rougher stones came from a quarry in Braemar. The wood used was from local Caledonian Pine trees. The roof has small red tiles.
The north side of the chapel has three small, round-arched windows with stained glass. The west end has one pointed-arch window with stained glass. The east end has one large, round-arched window with stained glass and a cross at the very top of the roof.
The south side has two small, round-arched windows with stained glass. The entrance porch is on this side. It has a round-arched doorway with a simple decorative frame. The wooden door has fancy iron hinges. There is also a small cross at the top of the porch.
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St Ninian's Chapel, west side
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St Ninian's Chapel, north side looking west
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St Ninian's Chapel, north side looking east
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St Ninian's Chapel, east side
Inside the Chapel
The inside of St Ninian's Chapel is small and cozy, with seats for about 40 people. You can see the wooden roof structure, called a hammerbeam roof, from the main part of the chapel (the nave). There are simple wooden benches, called pews, separated by a central walkway.
The chancel, which is the area near the altar, is a bit higher than the nave. It has a stone floor, and underneath it is a burial vault. The chancel has a small altar with a cover and wooden rails in front. There's also a wooden prayer stand and a reading desk. On the wall behind the altar is a beautiful reredos, which is a decorated screen. It has painted pictures of angels and the Crucifixion. The crucifix on it says it was a gift from Alexandra Princess of Wales in 1890.
Special Features of the Chapel
Burial Vault
In front of the altar, there is a burial vault covered by five large stone slabs. Each slab is about 76.2 centimeters (2.5 feet) wide. The first slab, near the left wall, seems to be the entrance to the vault and is sealed with concrete. The vault is made of polished red granite. Before it was sealed after the burial of the 1st Duke of Fife, the estate workers and their families were invited to see it.
Four people are buried in this vault:
- Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife (1891–1959): She was the daughter of the 1st Duke of Fife. Her ashes were placed here. Her name is on the second slab from the left.
- The 1st Duke of Fife (1849–1912): He died in Egypt. His body was brought back and first buried in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. Later, his remains were moved to St Ninian's Chapel in August 1912. His name is on the middle slab.
- The Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife (1867–1931): She was the wife of the 1st Duke of Fife. She was also first buried in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. Her remains were later moved to St Ninian's Chapel. Her name is on the second slab from the right.
- The 2nd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, Earl of MacDuff (1914–1943): He was the son of the 2nd Duchess of Fife. He died in Canada, and his ashes were placed in St Ninian's Chapel. His name is on the first slab from the right.
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Grave of the 2nd Duchess of Fife, daughter of the 1st Duke
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Grave of The 1st Duke of Fife
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Grave of the Princess Royal, wife of the 1st Duke of Fife
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Grave of The 2nd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, Earl of MacDuff, son of the 2nd Duchess of Fife
Memorials on the Walls
There are eight special inscriptions set into the walls of the chapel. These are memorials to remember different people:
- The Duke of Clarence (died 1892).
- King Edward VII (died 1910).
- Queen Alexandra (died 1925).
- Major General Prince Arthur of Connaught (1883–1938).
- The 2nd Duke of Connaught, Earl of MacDuff (1914–1943). He has both a wall inscription and a floor slab.
- Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk (1893–1946).
- Charles H. Taylor, who was the Secretary to the Duke of Fife and the Princess Royal.
- Ada Ellen Roberts (1876–1943).
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Wall-mounted plaque for The Duke of Clarence
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Wall-mounted plaque for King Edward VII
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Wall-mounted plaque for Queen Alexandra
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Wall-mounted plaque for Major General Prince Arthur of Connaught
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Inscribed stone for the 2nd Duke of Connaught, Earl of MacDuff
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Inscribed stone for Princess Maud, Countess of Southesk
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Inscribed stone for Charles H. Taylor
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Inscribed stone for Ada Ellen Roberts
Beautiful Stained Glass Windows
St Ninian's Chapel has many beautiful stained-glass windows. They were made by a company called Charles Eamer Kempe & Co Ltd in London. This company was founded in 1869 and had many artists and craftspeople. The artist for the windows in St Ninian's was John William Lisle. Each window has a unique design:
- The east window, behind the altar, shows the Resurrection.
- The west window shows St Michael fighting a dragon, with a small crucifixion scene below.
- The other smaller windows (three on the north side and two on the south side) show angels playing musical instruments.
The west window and one of the north windows have a special mark from Kempe and artist Walter Tower: a wheatsheaf with a tower on top.
Stations of the Cross
Inside the chapel, there are fourteen painted pictures called Stations of the Cross. These pictures show different moments from the last day of Jesus's life.
The Chapel's Organ
St Ninian's Chapel does not have a large pipe organ. Instead, it has a small harmonium, which is a type of reed organ.
See also
- Places, place names, and structures on Mar Lodge Estate
