St Mary's Scottish Episcopal Church Birnam

The History of St Mary's Church

Nestling in the hills of Perthshire, in the heart of Scotland, St Mary’s Episcopal Church belongs to the Diocese of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane.

St Mary’s, like the village of Birnam, owes its existence to the rapid increase in travel in the mid 19th century; the Perth and Dunkeld Railway opened in 1856 and initially terminated here. In addition to bringing considerable prosperity to the area, this gave rise to a rapid boost in the local population, and this in turn resulted in the need for a new place of worship to accommodate the increasing number of worshippers of the Scottish Episcopal persuasion.

The land for the new church was given by Sir William Stewart, Laird of Murthly, and the building was completed in 1858 to a design by William Slater, being dedicated to St Mary the Virgin by the Rt Revd Charles Wordsworth, Bishop of St Andrews from 1853 to 1893 and a nephew of the famous poet.

Such was the prosperity of the new church that most of her material needs were rapidly met, including a new rectory in 1872, a fine Forster and Andrews organ two years later, and the four-sided clock on the tower, made by James Ramsay of Dundee in 1882.

St Mary's Church, Birnam
St Mary's Church - Birnam
With Birnam’s increasing reputation as a tourist resort, especially during the fishing and shooting seasons, the pressure on the space in the Church grew, and an extra aisle on the north side of the nave was built by Norman & Beddoe in 1883 to accommodate the increased number of worshippers – the baptistry was added at the same time.

Interior Features

The interior is a fine example of the Gothic Revival style, with a three-bay nave, aisle chancel, and square three-stage crenellated tower. Much of the original decorative scheme is still in place, including an open timber roof with simple cross bracing, limewashed walls in the nave and fixed timber pews.
St Mary's Birnam - The Chancel
St Mary's Birnam - the Chancel with original tiled floor
St Mary's Birnam Interior
St Mary's Birnam -Gothic Revival style interior
The chancel features an original tiled floor, carved choir stalls, a pattern of stencilled decorative motifs in gold leaf on the east and south walls, a stone and marble reredos, the East window above the altar depicting the Crucifixion (by C. E. Kempe, 1895) and a window in the south wall depicting Moses and St John the Baptist (by James Ballantine & Son, 1864).

Stained Glass Windows

The Alexander and Evelyn Mary Low Memorial Windows in the north aisle were designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones and executed by William Morris & Co – ‘King David and St John the Evangelist’ (1890, designed 1866 and 1869) and ‘Ruth and Mary’ (1904, designed 1886). 

Stained glass window - 'King David and St John the Evangelist'
'King David and St John the Evangelist'
Stained glass window - 'Ruth and Mary'
'Ruth and Mary'
The Ascension of Christ
The Ascension of Christ ('I ascend to My Father and your Father'), and The Agony in the Garden ('There appeared an angel unto Him, strengthening Him'), in the south wall of the nave.
Christ Blessing Children
Christ Blessing Children ('Suffer little children to come unto Me'), and The Baptism of Christ ('This is My beloved Son'), in the south wall of the nave.
The Nativity of Christ
The Nativity of Christ ('Glory to God in the highest'), and The Annunciation ('Hail, thou that art highly favoured'), in the south wall of the nave.
The Crucifixion of Christ
The Crucifixion of Christ with the Blessed Virgin Mary and St John the Apostle - detail of window in the east wall above the altar.
Moses and St John the Baptist
Moses and St John the Baptist - window in the south wall of the chancel.

The Pulpit

Apart from the stained glass windows, there is also a wealth of biblical imagery included in the carved oak pulpit and the carved circular stone font in the baptistry. The pulpit features three scenes of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ: from left to right, the ‘Agony in the Garden’ (an angel offers Christ the cup symbolising the sacrifice he is about to undergo); the Crucifixion (with Mary the Mother of Jesus, St John and Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross); and Christ Rising from the Tomb.
The Pulpit - The Crucifixion
'The Crucifixion'
The Pulpit - Christ Rising from the Tomb
The Pulpit - Christ Rising from the Tomb
The Pulpit - 'Agony in the Garden'
'Agony in the Garden'

The Stone Font

The stone font likewise features a number of scenes from the Gospels, including the Baptism of Christ, and Christ Blessing the Little Children.
St Mary's Birnam - The Stone Font
'Blessing the Little Children'
St Mary's Birnam - The Stone Font
The Stone Font
St Mary's Birnam - The Stone Font
'The Baptism of Christ'
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