St Bridget's Kirk: A medieval church in Dalgety Bay

St Bridget's Kirk, situated in Dalgety Bay, Fife, Scotland, dates back to 1178. In the 17th century, the minister Rev. Andrew Donaldson oversaw the building of a school. St Bridget's Kirk stands as the only surviving feature of the old village of Dalgety.

Pope Alexander III called for the founding of the church on 11 March 1178. The church was later appropriated by the nearby Inchcolm Abbey, and in 1244 it was consecrated by David de Bernham, Bishop of St. Andrews.

By the early 19th century, the church was no longer safe, losing its roof in 1830. A new church was constructed half a mile inland in its place.

Historic Environment Scotland oversees the preservation of the ruins, allowing access to the loft, and the church’s piscina remains in good condition. The Dunfermline Aisle, built around 1610, houses the Earls of Dunfermline's burial vault. Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline, is buried here. The Fordell Aisle is a late 16th-century addition, and the small Inglis Aisle dates from the early 17th century. An open-air service is held at the church every year in June. Several tombstones remain in the old churchyard, with some dating back to 1665. A 'keep' is built into the churchyard wall, providing a place from which the church beadles could guard against body-snatchers.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons