A remarkable part of Scotland

THE Province of Moray was on the south side of the Moray Firth in north-east Scotland. The name ‘Moray’ comes from the Norman family of de Moravia, who were allocated that part of Scotland when it was parcelled out by the Scottish monarchy in the 12th century.

Essentially what later became the county of Moray (and what is now (with some tweaking of boundaries) Moray Council area consists of a broad coastal plain – the ‘Laigh of Moray’ – with to the south a mountainous area penetrated by a series of river valleys, the Spey, the Lossie and the Findhorn.

The mountains catch the rain clouds which sweep in from the south-west, so that the climate of the ‘Laigh’ is unusually dry and sunny. With its light, well-drained soils the ‘Laigh has long been a noted graingrowing area.

For the past three centuries or so part of the grain crop has been made into whiskies of international repute. The rivers are also noted for their salmon-ishing. Because of its relative isolation from the rest of Scotland this has historically been an area with a distinct character, and has about it an air of long settlement. Its wealth in the middle ages can still be seen in the richness of the remains of Elgin Cathedral, and of the Bishop’s palace at Spynie, the largest tower-house in Scotland.

The parish of Dyke is in the north-west corner of Moray, north of the town of Forres.

In the mediaeval period the parish of Dyke had a church dedicated to St Andrew, while the adjoining parish of Moy was attached to Elgin Cathedral. After the Reformation these two parishes were linked informally in 1585, and in 1618 a united parish of Dyke, Moy and Culbin was created, Culbin being between Dyke and the Findhorn, on the coast. By the end of the 17th century the village and church of Culbin, with their associated agricultural land had been covered by drifting sand, and their site is now known as the Culbin Sands.

Dyke and Moy, however, lourished, and in 1781 a new parish church was built in the village of Dyke, on the site (and within the plan) of the mediaeval St Columba’s church. This new building was designed by two James Smiths, one of Auldearn and the other of Nairn. The burial aisle of the Brodies of Brodie Castle, built on to St Columba’s in the 17th century, was retained, and is now part of the church.

It was refronted in Gothic style in 1867 by Matthews and Lawrie, and can be seen on the right in my drawing. The 1781 church is on a T-plan, and has a ‘three-decker’ pulpit, a rare survival from 18th-century worship practice. The church is remarkable for its unusually large round-headed windows, which flood the interior with light.

At the Disruption in 1843 the minister of the parish church, and most of his congregation, left to join the Free Church congregation… The first church was at Kintessack, but a new church was constructed in 1866-67, designed by John Rhind. In 1900 this became a United Free church, and on the Union of the United Free Church with the Church of Scotland in 1929 it became Dyke East Parish Church, the 1781 building becoming Dyke West.

These two congregations united in 1941, worshipping in the West Church, which was ‘completely renovated’.

The East Church became a barn, and is now a guest-house. In 1979 Dyke was linked with Edinkillie, in upland Moray.

Those of my readers who know Moray do not need to be told what a remarkable part of Scotland this is; to everyone else do go to see it, and if you do, visit Dyke’s fascinating Georgian church with its remarkable pulpit.

This article appears in the January 2019 Issue of Life and Work

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