Muthill Tower and Church
South of Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland
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Muthill (mew-till?) is a small village a few miles south of Crieff and about ten miles north of Dunblane. Not far
from Drummond Castle.
This church ruin started as a tower, built in the 1100s and with strong connections to the bishops at Dunblane Cathedral, ten miles to the south. This was well before the Reformation - 1570s - when the Scottish church still had bishops.
Back in the 1100s the church was a centre for a Culdee community, a denomination of monks who lived in the community (some Culdees married and had construction and clerical roles) and worshipped locally and throughout the area. They lasted about a century or so.
Like many impressive and therefore valuable assets the ownership of the church (and its land and possessions?) was argued over by the bishops of Dunblane and, oddly, Lindores Abbey in northern Fife, about twenty-four miles away.
The church was added (much of the current ruin dates to the 1400s) and used for many centuries and then fell into disuse and disrepair in the 1820s, some of the stone being used (the usual word is “robbed”) to build the other churches in the village.
In the care of Historic Scotland, access is free with parking nearby and there are several nice shops, pubs and cafés in the village. Easy disabled access.
This church ruin started as a tower, built in the 1100s and with strong connections to the bishops at Dunblane Cathedral, ten miles to the south. This was well before the Reformation - 1570s - when the Scottish church still had bishops.
Back in the 1100s the church was a centre for a Culdee community, a denomination of monks who lived in the community (some Culdees married and had construction and clerical roles) and worshipped locally and throughout the area. They lasted about a century or so.
Like many impressive and therefore valuable assets the ownership of the church (and its land and possessions?) was argued over by the bishops of Dunblane and, oddly, Lindores Abbey in northern Fife, about twenty-four miles away.
The church was added (much of the current ruin dates to the 1400s) and used for many centuries and then fell into disuse and disrepair in the 1820s, some of the stone being used (the usual word is “robbed”) to build the other churches in the village.
In the care of Historic Scotland, access is free with parking nearby and there are several nice shops, pubs and cafés in the village. Easy disabled access.
