Birnie

In charters Birnie can be found referred to as - Brynneth, Urynneth, Brynnath, Brennach, Birney, Brenoth, Birnethe, Brenath, Bryneth and Bruneth! In the Gaelic, 'brenoth' means 'brae or high land' and this obviously relates to the site that the muinntir occupied on top of a rise.

 

 

Of the ancient (some say Culdee) foundation there is now no trace which may be the result of it having been a wooden construction. However, Birnie is considered to be one of the oldest churches in Scotland to have been in continuous use for worship throughout its history. But it is something of an enigma since there is little, if any, evidence in the historical record that can tell us with certainty to which Saint it was dedicated. A number of sources give St Brendan (the Navigator) as the titular but without any substantive evidence to support the claim. Other writers suggest that its dedication was to St Moluag which is, of course, possible. A little to the north and just to the east of Elgin itself there is an ancient Barony which bears the name Kilmalemnock - in the 16th-century it seems to have been held by members of the Innes family⁵ - the name is believed to mean 'Church of Moluag'. The ancient parish of St Andrews {NGR: NJ 249627} was also sometimes known locally as Kilmalemnock. This all supports the idea that missionary activity was carried out by St Moluag and/or his disciples in the general vicinity of Elgin (including Birnie). We should also remember here that the muinntir at Clova, which is no great distance away, was also associated with Moluag.

Parts of the present building, most notably the chancel arch, are twelfth-century work of a very fine kind reflecting the fact that the ancient church was built in 1140 on the site of the 6th century Celtic Foundation. Without doubt, it is one of the most superb examples of Norman architecture preserved in Scotland. It seems very ordinary from the outside and, indeed, there has been much restoration, but within it retains a very present sanctity with its Norman chancel and chancel-arch and overall proportions. This early work is of square, dressed, freestone ashlars that are thought to have been quarried at one of the many quarries on the coast near Hopeman.

Within the church there is an ancient square 'Saint's Bell', known as the Coronach Bell or Ronnel, and a font which may have come from the earlier church which stood here before the Norman structure was built. The antiquity of the site is underlined by the presence of a seventh-century granite Class I symbol-stone, bearing the eagle and Z-rod symbols, and four fragments of Class III stones (which have been lost in modern times). The oval shape of the surrounding churchyard wall is typical of an Early Church foundation.

The 'fame' of this site has been enhanced greatly in recent years by the findings produced during a long-term excavation project of a settlement found in a neighbouring field to the east of the churchyard. However, the church's 'credentials', too, were enhanced by a building survey carried out in 2011 which, "clarified its complex building history and revealed more of the medieval fabric than had been anticipated, including what is possibly a blocked piscina."⁴

 

Birnie was one of the earliest churches used by the Bishops of Moray as their cathedral when the Diocese was founded by King Alexander I. in 1107-15. Indeed, it is the traditional burial site of Bishop Simon de Tosney (Tonei) (1171-1184), one of the earliest bishops of the young diocese. From certain of its architectural features, it is reasonable to assume that the first stone church here was built not later than 1140. But when the very first church was built, which would have been constructed of wood, mud and wattle, is not known with any certainty. By the time of Bishop Bricius (1203-1222), Birnie was a mensal church. Bricius attempted to grant it to Kelso Abbey¹ but his plans failed and Birnie remained a mensal church up until 1331, when Bishop John Pilmuir (1326-1362) assigned it as a common church of the cathedral, the revenues to be used for the support of the cathedral's many chaplains. In 1350 (2 Id. June) Pope Clement VI confirmed the bishop's gift of the church of Bruneth to part-support 17 perpetual chaplains in the cathedral.² This supplication to the Pope was issued by the Chapter of Elgin Cathedral on 18 October 1331, in the time of Bishop John de Pilmuir. As such, it is an interesting piece of evidence showing the speed with which such matters were dealt with in these early years: it had taken nineteen years for the pope to grant his permission, although the de facto use of Birnie to support the chaplains probably took place much earlier in anticipation of permission being obtained from the Curia.³

Not very far from Birnie church - about 1.25km in a south-easterly direction - lies the site of the Palace of Birnie at Castlehill {NGR: NJ 216579} . The surviving earthwork suggests this to have been a motte which would place it in post-Conquest times and so, possibly, suggest that it was built during the same period as the older parts of the present church building. Tradition extends this 'history' to suggest that the Palace was the residence of the bishop when Birnie acted as his cathedra.⁶ Sadly, all traces of this building were cleared away in the year 1802 when the ground was being re-claimed for agricultural use. In passing, it is interesting to note that one of the distilleries immediately to the south of Castlehill is called Mannochmore - Gael. "mannach" meaning "monk". Close by, about 100m west of Castlehill, was Loch Bouns which might preserve the Flemmish word [bus]boun - 'boxwood'.

 

Old Hill Road passing Birnie.

Many scholars have raised their eyebrows when considering the location of the first centre of ecclesiastical authority in Morayshire. "Why at Birnie?" they ask. Recent archaeological discoveries have revealed that a considerable centre of population existed here from the very earliest of times. But many have missed what a study of the topography would have quickly revealed to them. Birnie was, in fact, on one of the main routes through Morayshire. We must remember that the extensive marshes immediately to the east of Elgin (such as that at Barmuckity), and those around the flood-plain of the River Lossie to the west of the town, made transport at times very difficult, if not impossible. What was required was a route which lay in the higher ground to the south of Elgin. Even a casual study of the Ordnance Survey map reveals that there was a very important route from the west at Rafford {NGR: NJ 060562}, either through the Vale of St Andrew (Pluscarden), or passing along the north bank of the Lossie from Tor Chastle {NGR: NJ 130526} , both routes using the fording-point near where the Cloddach Bridge now stands {NGR: NJ 222584} .

The route east from here is still traceable from the present road-system as it runs directly past Birnie Church, passing The Level {NGR: NJ 221581} , to Clackmarras {NGR: NJ 247585} and onwards (with dry feet!) to Lhanbryde and Urquhart, and the Spey crossing that King Edward I used coming across from Bellie in 1296. There is even a branch road to Elgin itself passing from the north side of the church, and following the present road to the east of Moray Golf Club's course, into what is now New Elgin. Also, after passing Birnie Church, but before reaching The Level, there is a route leading south past Castlehill and Burnbank {NGR: NJ 225564} into the Rothes Glen and joining routes heading south, leading to the lands (and Deanery) of Strathspey. And, if this is not sufficient to prove the point, from Castlehill there is the wonderful hill-road (an ancient right-of-way) from the Shougle {NGR: NJ 211552} leading up the eastern slopes of Glenlatterach and over the Pikey Hill {NGR: NJ 215513} (with Birnie Moss directly to the west), passing Mannoch Hill (Monks Hill) {NGR: NJ 204493} and Sidhean na Mannoch (with Mannoch Moss directly to the east {NGR: NJ 194455}) , and arriving directly into Knockando which lands were mostly in episcopal ownership from an early date. This hill-track is known as the Mannoch Road - the 'Monks Road'. Once known as a smugglers' path it passes close to the Thieves Den {NGR: NJ 203508} a deep ravine the name of which, no doubt, tells its own history! The attraction here, for travellers, was that it was only 13 miles to Elgin by this route (the alternative being some 20 miles), but it was known to be a desperate journey in winter weather.⁷ And for the superstitious, the Sidhean na Mannoch may have held its terrors as well!

 

The bishops held the lands of Birnie as a secular Barony in its own right, but, on 8 November 1451, it was incorporated into the great Barony & Regality of Spynie erected by King James to encompass all of the scattered posessions of the bishop into a single entity, with stunning quasi-regal secular powers.

At the Second Reformation (1560), the lands and church of Birnie passed from the Crown to the Earl of Moray. In later times they were in the possession of the Earls of Findlater and the Earls of Seafield.