There is an ambry in the south-west angle 1 foot 7 inches wide by 1 foot 9 inches high, and 1 foot 3 inches deep.
Fig. 1523.—St. John’s Church, Dalry. View from South-West.
On the outside of the north-east angle there is an interesting relic of the south wall of the old church, a portion of one rybat of a window having been preserved. Three courses of freestone yet remain, having a bold splay externally, a groove for glass, and a splayed ingoing. This shows that the chancel of the old church must have extended some distance to the eastward.
Some of the dressed granite stones of the old church have been reused in the modern building.
Fig. 1524.—St. John’s Church, Dalry. Plan.
DRAINIE CHURCH AND MICHAEL KIRK, Morayshire.
These two churches are examples of the revived Gothic architecture of post-Reformation times. The parish of Drainie was formed by the union of the two old parishes of Kineddar and Ogstown. They both lie on the Morayshire coast, about five to six miles north of Elgin, and fully two miles from Lossiemouth. The country is low lying, and used in former times to be marshy. Kineddar was a seat of the Bishopric of Moray before it was moved to Spynie, and ultimately to Elgin. There too stood a large fortified castle (of the first period), consisting of a great wall of enceinte surrounded by a deep ditch, but it has now been taken down, and the plough passes over the site. This castle formed the residence of some of the Bishops of Moray before Spynie Palace was erected.
The Church of Drainie was built in 1666, and is a good example of the period. It has evidently been designed to meet the requirements of the Presbyterian service of the time (Fig. [1525]). The pulpit would be in the centre of the south wall, with a window placed on each side of it. Beyond these, on either hand, are two doors, each admitting to a short passage, which would give access to a central one. The main body of the church is 62 feet in length by 24 feet in width, and in the centre of the north side is a wing 24 feet by 18 feet. This wing or “aisle” is spanned by a stone arch, which may have carried a gallery above, to light which a small window is introduced in the north gable. The ground floor of the north wing would be seated in the usual manner, and is provided with an entrance door and two windows. Similar arrangements of plan are common in the Scottish churches of post-Reformation times.