Kirk story goes back on display
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FASCINATING discoveries about the history of an old kirk in Easter Ross will go back on show at a public exhibition later this month – to cater to public demand.
Last year volunteer researchers began trawling archives looking into the history of the Kiltearn Old Parish Kirk.
Run by Evanton Community Trust in conjunction with ARCH (Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands), it unearthed much new information about the history of the building and the people of Kiltearn.
The results were presented during the Highland Archaeology Festival last October in an exhibition held at the Cornerstone Cafe in Evanton, before it moved on to the Highland Council headquarters in Inverness and then Dingwall Community Library.
But it generated so much public interest that those who missed out on the chance to find out more about the discoveries first time round will now get another opportunity.
Chairman of the Evanton Community Trust, Simon Hindson, said: "The old Kirk is an important and integral part of the history and identity of Evanton.
"The results of the project exceeded all our expectations.
"The exhibition, which pulls together the project findings, has been extremely well received. So much so, that we have been asked by many people, who missed it the first time around, to display it Evanton again.
"We would once again like to thank our funders who have helped to ensure that the findings on this important piece of our heritage have now been archived for the benefit of future generations.
"An online database of the findings will soon be available on www.ect.scot, helping people around the world researching their family history."
The project started last January with more than 40 people exploring the history of the old Kirk and looking at archival and published material including papers from Foulis Castle which are now held in Highland archives.
These records provided information dating back into the medieval period and the Kirk Session records, surviving in patches from the 1690s, and provided snapshots of information about the kirk and life in the parish.
Last summer the project turned to recording the gravestones in the original kirkyard which organisers said had "surprisingly" never been done before.
A dedicated team of volunteers, recorded more than 400 gravestones and lair markers, including a number of 17th and 18th century gravestones with engraved symbols of mortality.
The project also involved a building survey which revealed evidence of a much older, medieval structure on the site, pre-dating the current building which was constructed in 1792.
The exhibition of the findings will be on display at the Cornerstone Café in Evanton from Tuesday, January 30.
The café is open, Tuesday to Thursday from 10am to 2.30pm and on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm.
Binders of the historical research into Kiltearn Kirk are also available for viewing at the Cornerstone Café and the Dingwall and Alness Libraries.
The research project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Kiltearn Community Council and Clan Munro Association.
