Glenmuick Parish Church

A photograph looking south from Bridge Street in Ballater towards the front elevation of Glenmuick Parish Church. A small part of Ballater's war memorial can be seen seen on the left.

Glenmuick Parish Church was built in 1873-74 to a design by Aberdeen architect John Russell Mackenzie (1833-1889). Describing its historical importance on their listed buildings portal, Historic Environment Scotland state the following:

"Francis Farquharson, and later his brother William, planned Ballater in the late 18th century, following the discovery that the Pannanich Wells across the River Dee were deemed to have miraculous healing qualities. This led to a steady stream of visitors and Ballater was planned as a village that could house them. The village was based on a rectilinear plan with the church at its centre. This early church was a simple building with a wooden steeple and was built to accommodate the people of the three surrounding parishes - Glengairn, Tullich and Glenmuick. It was consecrated in 1800.

"With Queen Victoria's interest in Balmoral in the 1850s and the arrival of the railway to the town in 1866, Ballater grew more prosperous and the older church was thought not be sufficiently in keeping with the new more prosperous town and the present church was built."

The war memorial in the bottom left, designed by Sir John J. Burnett, commemorates soldiers who died in World War I and II. It was unveiled on 23rd July 1922 (Press & Journal, 24th July 1922).

This image likely dates from the 1970s or 80s. It is a part of a collection of slides donated to Aberdeen City Libraries by Aberdeen City Council's Publicity department.

Ballater