St Andrew's Kirk Ports

In 1656, when St Andrew's Auld Kirk was partially swept into the sea at North Berwick by a storm, it was quickly realised that a new Kirk would be needed where locals could worship. In 1658 construction began a few streets back from the former site on St Andrew's Kirk Ports, and by 1664 the Kirk was complete allowing the local population to worship once again.

At first the Kirk was a simple rectangular building with the altar placed at the centre of the south wall so everyone could hear the sermon. Around 1700 a Mr. George Suttie constructed a loft and burial aisle on the south wall of the building and this was followed, in 1748, by a larger loft and burial aisle on the north side of the building. A loft and stair was also added at this on the east wall. All of these works were carried out by the wonderfully named and titled Sir Hew Dalrymple, Lord President.

A tower was added to the west end of the Kirk in 1771 and it was given a distinctive bell-shaped roof, which has sadly not survived. This tower was used to house the original bell from the Auld Kirk by the coast. The final renovations took place in 1820, when a vestry was added along with two new windows in the south wall.

As with many towns and villages the country over, the arrival of the railways had a significant effect on population and when it arrived in North Berwick in the 1850s it caused a population boom in the town. While the Kirk was able to hold up to 500 people in its heyday, it was becoming clear by the 1870s that an even larger Church would be needed for the town.

The final service was held in the Kirk on 3rd June 1883 and following this the building was partly dismantled and the materials auctioned off. All was not lost, however as the Church Heritors (a heritor was a privileged person in a parish under Scots Law) decided to retain the walls, tower and church bell as a picturesque ruin, and that the land be used for burial purposes.

A third St Andrew's was built a short walk away, this time known as St Andrew's Blackadder (not that Blackadder), by renowned Scottish Architect Robert Rowand Anderson in the Gothic Revival style. The Auld Kirk's original bell was also installed in this third church on completion of its bell tower in 1908 and is now on display in the church after being retired in 1928.

One notable burial in St Andrew's Kirk Ports is John Blackadder, after whom the new church is named, who was a Covenanter martyr. He was arrested for preaching illegally in the open air and was subsequently imprisoned on the Bass Rock, which must have been quite a smelly place to be with all the Gannets, until his death in 1685. While he originally was a minister in Dumfriesshire, he was buried in St Andrew's Kirk Ports because the Bass Rock was officially in the North Berwick Parish.