To celebrate the creation of this section of the Haggis Highway events will take place on 13th and 14th October 2012.
The events are as follows:
Inverness ~ Dinner GC3PYR5 - Saturday 13th October from 17:00, 18:00 for dinner
Bridge of Brown ~ Lunch GC3PRW9 - Sunday 14th October from 12 noon ~16:00
The parish of Knockando, Elchies and Archiestown includes the former civil parish of Knockando, and the small communities of Macallan, Carron, Cardhu, Elchies, Kirdels, Tamdhu, Pitchroy and Blacksboat.
The present church was built in 1993 to replace its predecessor which had been erected in 1757 but destroyed by fire in 1990. The current building is the third, but the former parishes of Elchies (Macallan) and of Knockando date from before the Reformation, Elchies having been dependant on Botarie and Knockando having been dependent on Inveraven. The former church at Archiestown began life as Knockando Free Church in the 19th Century but rejoined the Church of Scotland in 1934. Some time after Elchies and Archiestown were united with Knockando the former two church buildings ceased to be used.
In the main vestibule there is a list of the Ministers of Knockando, Elchies & Archiestown since the Reformation.
Knockando Kirk today is bright and airy and has some attractive stained glass panels including the Creation window by Andrew Lawson Johnston donated by the Guild, and some smaller panels by Gail Steele and by Fiona McInnes donated by members of the congregation. There is also a copper Memory Tree made by a coppersmith at Rothes. God’s Word is still preached by the Minister from the pulpit (which came from the former Glenlivet Church) and the communion, or Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, is still served to the people symbolically seated at the Table (not an altar) which came from the former Elchies Church and was saved from the fire in the previous church.
As well as being the sanctuary in which the community gathers for the worship of God Sunday by Sunday it is also the focal point of many of the great events in the lives of our people. Here children and adults are baptised, couples are married and the funeral services for deceased parishioners are held. After a funeral service minister and mourners walk to the adjoining Kirkyard and cemetery for the final committal. The former Watch House in the Kirkyard (used by the elders to stand guard in the era of grave-robbers) has been converted into a simple Chapel which is available 24-hours a day.
Really difficult to get good co~ords here due to tree cover ( the noise the crows/rooks were making was terrible), but if you park at N57*28.128 W003*21.443 the cache is about 18' to the left of the church gates on the ground between the church wall and the low fence at a stump.