
Hotels
in Fife
Cottages
in Fife
Tour
Fife Books
|
Tour
Abdie Church
The
remains of the old church of Abdie is found at Grange of Lindores,
about a mile to the south of Newburgh. The Grange farmhouse is
on the site of the Abbey farmhouse; the granary and centre for
the agricultural produce for the monks.

In 1300, Abdie was referred to as Ebedyn, a modem descendent of
an old ecclesiastical term denoting a 'shrine' connected with
an abbey or monastery. As Abdie was known to have existed before
Lindores Abbey was built the shrine probably bore some relationship
to the ancient celtic foundation of Abernethy, of which all trace
has been swept away.

In the foundation charter of Lindores Abbey by David Earl of Huntingdon
in 1178, the first bequest made to the Abbey was the Church of
Lindores (as Abdie was then known). The probable derivation of
Lindores is Lann, sacred enclosure and Dobbar (pronounced dour),
water hence Church by the water. Its altar (like Flisk Church)
was dedicated to St. Ninian, a 5th century missionary while the
building was dedicated to St. Adrian, a 9th century bishop of
Abemethy whose name is also associated with Macduff s cross. There
are several stones in and around the church that are of interest
including a floreated cross found under the floor of the chancel
and a 14th c. sculptured recumbent figure of an ecclesiastic clad
in cassock and amice (hood with tassels).

In 1652, Sir Michael Balfour of Denmiln, comptroller of the Household
of Charles I was buried here, and also his son, Sir James Balfour,
Lyon. King of Arms is commemorated on a stone erected amongst
various memorials in 1661 by Sir James' son, Robert, then ten
years old acting under the guardianship of his uncle Michael Balfour
of Pitmedden.
A much earlier artefact, at least 3rd century, can be seen in
the churchyard, in the form of the Lindores stone. This is a
whinstone boulder 3ft. high and 17 ins. broad which used to stand
on the adjoining ridge but removed in 1850. It is decorated with
triple discs and a prominent crescent, two leaf-topped wands and
a rod, perhaps of office. This stood near the site of McDuffs
castle and not far from the Moot hill of Lindores. A moot was
an assembly held for the purpose of trial and judgement. Here
is where the Thane of Fife and his forbears and descendants
stood and delivered judgement to the inhabitants of the surrounding
region.
The Parish of Abdie in NW Fife stretches from Newburgh on the
Firth of Tay to the Loch of Lindores. It includes the village
of Lindores and the hamlet of Grange of Lindores, and in its churchyard
near Grange of Lindores is a 7th-century Pictish symbol stone.
Buried in the same churchyard are John Bethune (d.1839) and his
brother Alexander (d.1843) who are remembered as local poets.
There is also a monument to Sir Frederick Lewis Maitland (1777-1839),
captain of the British warship HMS Bellerophon which took the
defeated Napoleon on board in 1815 prior to his exile in St Helena.
Abdie parish, which is of considerable extent, but greatly intersected
by other parishes, lies on the south bank of the river Tay, amongst
those highlands to the westward, which have acquired the apellation
of the Ochil hills. The surface is remarkably uneven, but the
soil is in general fertile. It possesses three quarries of granite,
of which considerable quantities are shipped for paving the streets
of London. The parish is well watered with lochs, the chief of
which is the lake of Lindores, about a mile in length, and of
irregular breadth. This piece of water is well stored with fish,
and being surrounded by some romantic scenery, is a beautiful
object in the view of the country." from Slater's
Directory, published 1852.
If
you would like to visit this area as part of a highly personalized
small group tour of my native Scotland please e-mail me:
Return
to Fife
|
|