St Ninian's Church, Tynet facts for kids
St Ninian's Church, Tynet is a very old and special Roman Catholic church. It's located in a place called Tynet, about 4 miles west of Buckie in Scotland. This church was built in 1755, making it the oldest Roman Catholic church still standing in Scotland that was built after a big historical event called the Reformation.
It's known as a "clandestine church." This means it was designed to look like a normal house or barn. This was important because, at the time, Catholic worship was allowed in Britain, but only if it was done quietly and didn't stand out too much.
What St Ninian's Church Looks Like
St Ninian's Church was built to look like a long, low barn or a row of small cottages. This design helped it blend in and not look like a church. It's a fantastic example of how these hidden churches were built.
Inside, the church is simple and painted white. It has a small entrance area, called a foyer, and then one large main room. There's a special doorway with fancy columns that leads from the foyer into the main part of the church. The wooden benches, called pews, and the confessional box are painted grey. There's also a simple, eight-sided pulpit, which is where the priest speaks from. This pulpit was added in 1787.
The History of St Ninian's Church
Before St Ninian's was built, there was another church nearby that soldiers destroyed in 1728. After that, people held church services in secret. Sometimes, priests would travel disguised as farmers and hold services at night in barns.
When St Ninian's was first built, it was actually a very humble private house. A priest named Father Godsman bought the house. He said he was just adding a small shed for his sheep! This was a clever way to build a church without drawing too much attention.
At first, the building had a thatched roof and no glass in the windows. But things got easier for Roman Catholics in Scotland over time. So, in 1779, another priest, Father George Matheson, added glass windows and a slate roof. He also put a round decoration on the west side of the roof. The church was later repaired and made beautiful again in 1951.
St Ninian's is still a church today, even though a newer church, St Gregory's, became the main church in the area in 1788. St Ninian's is protected as a special historic building, known as a Category A listed building.
