Dunino Parish Church

Dunino Parish Church is a lovely little village church that was built in 1827. However, there is evidence that there had been a church at the site since 1240.

It was on a recent visit to Dunino Den that we came across this little beauty. The building was designed by the Dunblane born architect James Gillespie Graham, who was renowned for his baronial style of architecture with its elaborate rooflines.

The original building was a small rectangular gothic church with crow stepped gables to east and west, but the church has undergone some improvements and expansion over the years.

I tried the door, but sadly it was locked when I visited. The porch was been added by Waddell & Young in 1928, and the vestry in 1997. Much of the interior was designed by Peter MacGregor Chalmers, a Glaswegian architect that famously specialised in country churches.

Inside the church, there is a communion table on eastern chancel wall and above are beautiful stained glass windows.

There are twelve rows of wooden pews dating from 1826, have been carefully stripped and reused. The stone windows sills are carved with foliage and those not with stained glass, contain leaded glazed windows. I was able to see the windows when peeking through the door. The oak desks and the wooden pulpit which sits in the south east corner of the church, were made by a local gentleman.

Through the door you can also spy modern red sandstone font sitting on a carved stone plinth just inside the door to the right.

From outside you get a good view of the crow stepped gables on the eastern chancel wall with the stained glass window below.

The eastern chancel (alter end of the church) was extended by Waddell & Young in around 1928, and the stained glass windows which were designed by John J Jennings of London, were added in 1930/31.

On the exterior wall, one of the stones is carved to commemorate Alexander MacDonald, the minister of Dunino Church between 1911 and 1949.

The churchyard contains many old memorial stones, but if you look carefully near the wall to the south of the church, you will find an ancient stone. A sundial was carved into the stone in the late 1600s.

Some sources suggest that the stone could be Pictish and coins, pebbles and other offerings can be found atop the stone.

The church has a large car park, which also serves Dunino Den and the neighbouring woods.

Dunino Parish Church is a Category B Listed Building with Historic Environment Scotland.

If you do decided to investigate Dunino Den, please be careful of the steep slippery steps.