Loth Parish Church, Lothmore, East Sutherland and Edderton, Highland

Entry Name: Loth Parish Church, Lothmore

Listing Name: Loth Parish Church (Church of Scotland)

Listing Date: 18 March 1971

Category: A

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 338954

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB7149

Building Class: Cultural

Also known as: Lothmore, Loth Parish Church

ID on this website: 200338954

Location: Loth

County: Highland

Electoral Ward: East Sutherland and Edderton

Parish: Loth

Traditional County: Sutherland

Tagged with: Church building

Description

1822, modelled on Kintore Church by Archibald Simpson,

Aberdeen. Gothic; rectangular; coursed stugged ashlar,

tooled ashlar dressings and rusticated quoins. Wide

advanced centre bay at west gable, with hoodmoulded

centre entrance and dated plaque above; centre hoodmoulded

gallery window with simple Perpendicular tracery; diagonal

buttresses terminating with crocketted pinnacles with

stiff leaf finials; similarly detailed apex bell-cote.

North and south elevations lit by 3 large Gothic windows - detailed as in west gable. Barely advanced centre bay to

east gable with long paired centre windows, also with

Perpendicular tracery, flanked by small pointed-headed

entrances, blind to north. Small quatrefoil apex oculus;

saltire apex finial; single round finials with saltire

detailing decorate east flat skews.

Moulded eaves cornice at north and south wallheads

returning onto gable; lattice glazing; slate roof.

Interior; original fittings; 3-sided gallery with Gothic

detailing to front panelling, supported by cast-iron

clustered columns. Various mural memorial plaques,

including some to the Pope family of Navidale.

Ceiling inserted at gallery level cutting off hexagonal

wooden sounding board in situ over pulpit, painted delicate

shades of mushroom pale yellow and white. Urn finial; in

decorative bands of plaster frieze divided by simple string

courses decorate deep cornice, 1 row of vine leaves and

1 of palmette design.

Cusped panelled pulpit flanked by stairs. 1822 pews,

including long box pew in centre with centre communion table.

Statement of Interest

Church no long in ecclesiastical use. Former church site

and old Burial Ground just below present church; modern

burial ground to east. Helmsdale and Navidale in Loth Parish

until transferred to Kildonan Parish in 1841. Plaque over

door reads; IMPENSIS NOBILISSIN GEORGII GRANVILLII

LEVESON GOWER STAFFORDIENSIS COMITATUS MARCHIONI ET

NOBILISSIME ELIZABETHAE SUTHERLAND EUJUSDE COMTATU

MARCHIONE-SSAE SUTHERLANDIAE COMITISSAE. ANNO MDCCCXXII

Loth church copy Kintore Church, Aberdeenshire; Archibald

Simpson, 1819, as directed by Countess of Sutherland.

"The kirk at loth is well up. It is taken as your Ladyship

directed, from the one at Mintore". (letter from James Loch

to Countess. 12 Aug. 1821.) Built at cost of $1,504.2s.3d.

"A modern, handsome and commodious edifice" (c.1858).

External Links

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