Kirkcaldy Old Kirk
Kirkcaldy Old Kirk is the site of the first Christian worship in Kirkcaldy after the Celtic missionaries brought the faith here in the 5th century. The first written record of the Kirk is in 1244 when the Roman Catholic Bishop de Bernham consecrated the building to St. Patrick and St. Brisse (St. Bryce) but we know there was a Celtic church there before that. The ancient tower dates from the 15th century and the listed structure is built of ashlar, finely dressed sandstone.
Another notable feature of the church are the beautiful stained glass windows designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, a famous stained-glass artist. The oldest windows are the two stained-glass windows placed in the east wall of the church as a memorial to the late Mr James Russell who died suddenly in November 1877. A writer and agent of the City of Glasgow Bank in the High Street, he was a member of the Parish Church. Several well-known as well as ordinary Kirkcaldy folk are part of the church and town’s history and are buried in the surrounding graveyard which tells the tales of seafarers, merchants, churchmen, Provosts, businessmen, politicians and industrialists.
Adam Smith was christened as an infant here, and Rev. George Gillespie, an author of the Westminster Confession of Faith, lies underneath the Kirk.
Kirkcaldy Old Kirk Trust is a registered Scottish charity seeking to preserve the heritage of the Old Kirk for public benefit after it closed as a place of worship by the Church of Scotland in November 2010. They are a group of local people concerned that this historic old building with its medieval tower and beautiful stained-glass windows should remain at the heart of the town’s life. The trust acquired the church in 2011 and maintain it in community use with regular events and an annual Doors Open Day when fine views from the top of the tower can be obtained.
History Publications
You can read more about the history of the Church and its stained glass windows in this history book:
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