alvahchurch.co.uk

Alvah Church

Pretty much all the photos we took in August 2025, and everything else I could find from scraping the internet for many months. I will cover as much of the upcoming restoration and conversion process as possible, but please keep in mind, it will be a long process!

For all enquiries email us at churchalvah@gmail.com

Alvah Parish Church, Alvah, Banff, AB45 3US

Blue plaque!
We must have visited the church on the sunniest day of the year in 2025
I went for a look after we completed, it was gloomy in January
Looking up from the War memorial
The Vestry has seen better days.
An older photo, showing the repaired roof
These old walls sare covered in lichen and mosses
That will need unblocking
During the roof works, the harling, or roughcast render was removed in most areas, exposing the slate/stone wall beneath.
The East doorway, with some amazing views looking down the valley
that’ll need repointing, and then some!
The old sash windows are in a poor state
Looking up to the bellcote. This was taken from the previous church on this site, I think it’s supposed be from 1645-ish.
The Vestible entrance, nailed shut for now
Other side of the Vestible, showing the lovely stone.
The pointing here has not been helped by decades of rainwater. pouring over and into it
This stone etching is interesting, wonder why.
Inside, speaks for itself
The double doors looking out to the valley
Another view showing how big the interior is
Lots of timber was replaced during the roof works of 2020
Roomy
Need to get up there and inspect properly
The Kingpost trusses
Close up of all that pigeon poo
Gloomy GoPro shot
The plaster window reveals are ‘almost’ still intact
The floor was held up by these pier walls, made from stone rubble into five lengths spanning 20 metres or so.
New roof windows were instaleld during the roof repair, according to the approved planning application
Another angle of the roof windows
Another gloomy GoPro photo
In each corner there is an air vent hole
One of the old air vents, still in the stone block
The Vestible doorway into the main hall
The memorial to The Reverend Hugh Fraser, who ministered the parish for 49 years.
Scrap of the old wallpaper that covered the gallery panels
The Vestry, stripped bare
Vestry entrance
Coal chute for the old boiler. That green ‘living wall’ will need sorting!
The Vestry, used to look very different!
The old boiler house, quite a deep room
Vestry fireplace
The vestry has a lot of underfloor space
A lot of bird skeletons in this building. It’s been home to Pigeons and Crows for decades.
Looking out over the headstones towards the Deveron valley
One of the South wall windows. You can see one of the old Iron shutter hinges through the glass.
Some of these windows might be ok. We shall see…
The vestry used to have a piano in the left corner. That’s coming back – one day!
Vestry entrance, used to be a porch here
The roof slates were replaced back in 2020-ish by Ricky Ross, a local builder
Some rare sunshine
There isn’t a great deal of room round the building, so tremendous care must be taken not to desecrate any of these ancient graves.
Lovely views up towards the Hill of Alvah Hill, where there are some interesting Bronze Age cairns.
Many of the sarking boards were rotten and required replacement.
The Vestry roof wasn’t replaced
Repairs were carried out on several timber beams
You can see the old galleries, with the panelled fascia here. The front row was finished in red velvet with cushions – Not quite the Lairds Loft, but better than nothing!
From here you can see the salmon pink and green plaster on lathe, that covered most of the church.
Replacing the entire roof, removing the old harling and demolishing the interior must have a hard, dusty job, and not for the faint of heart.
Proposed new ground floor layout
Proposed new first floor layout
Proposed new second floor layout
One of the main obstacles to converting the church is the lack of drainage. In the last planning app documents it was proposed to purchase the land in front of the Vestry, to accomodate a septic treatment plant
Working out the electrical supply with SSEN
There are many historical points of interest in Alvah and the surrounding area
Some daft AI ideas.
More daft AI ideas
Too many windows, but still a bit more sensible AI design, if we didn’t do the mezzanine floors.
The beacons are lit! (AI)
Christmas AI idea
The graveyard is full of amazing stonework, like these horn-blowing cherubs
These old walls are home to all sorts of Lichen and Mosses
A peaceful place
Stunning views down into the Deveron valley
This sloped area of the graveyard was added in the 1950s
The old Kirk, back in 1906
Pre-roof works, she was looking a bit rough. The doors are all staying the same shade of blue.
Another view over the valley
Looking up the pathway from the main gates to the graveyard
There are many Table Tombs in the kirk yard. These are 18th & 19th centure burial monuments, featuring a large horizontal slab, supported by pillars, resembling a table. They were often used for prominent citizens to display wealth and provide space for long inscriptions
I need to get a better photo from this view
From up the hill there are some stunning views
The main gates to the Cemetary
The monument in the centre of the South wall. As with a lot of the headstones around the church, much of the detail has been eroded away.
Another view of the church, taken before the roof repairs
The distant treeline marks the River Deveron, one of the finest Salmon and Trout fisheries in the world
I think these are Hebeloma crustuliniforme, aka Poison Pie
The follwoing photos are from the 2016 archaeological survey carried out before the first phase of work started
Old Ogilvy monument set into the Vestry east wall
Door knocker
Hinge
Keyholes
Ceiling vent with decorative plaster boss
Old postcard from 1906 I found on Ebay, showing the Church from just behind the trees and rooftops
Old map, you can just about make out the original church slightly to the south that the current building replaced
Ancient map showing the Kirk from the 1700s
The original pulpit, before the demolition
The church was quite cramped. There were basic pendant lights but they would not have given off much light.
Another angle of the pulpit. It’s quite a shame that so much was removed. I wonder where it all went.
You can see how bad the ceilings were, due to so many holes in the old roof
The Lairds Loft
The Vestry/Session room, with Piano on the left. That fireplace would have made the winters a touch easier to bear.
Bonus photo of Montrose
Here’s a better view of the bellcote, from 1645. The metal bar below it kept the bell rope from flapping about.
The previous electrical connect was below and to the right of the bellcote, you can still just about see the old ceramic bungs.
I saw this on Ebay, an old metal Alvah Church token from 1750, used to regulate participation in holy communion. Maybe I’ll get one, one day
Winter shot of the old bridge Of Alvah from the cemetary.
Atmospheric
That’ll need repointing, and then some!
Bridge Of Alvah
The Bridge of Alvah, Duff House, Banffshire, by Reverend Charles Cordiner
Another painting of the Brig O’Alvah, taken from the Deveron fishnig website. When I find the artist I’l update this caption.
Banff and Macduff, Alvah and the Deveron
The River Deveron local fishing map
Mouth of the rIver
Wrack pool 1
Wrack pool 2