Bellie Kirk

Bellie Kirk stands at the heart of the planned village, its neoclassical facade giving the main square much of its Georgian character. Built in 1798 to a design commissioned by the Duke of Gordon, it follows the pattern of many Scottish parish churches of the period — a formal exterior with a functional interior — but the quality of the stonework and the proportions of the portico lift it above the ordinary.

The church is a Church of Scotland parish church and still in regular use. It is worth a look from the outside even if closed; the interior can sometimes be visited during village events. The churchyard contains some interesting gravestones, including memorials to local figures from the Baxter family.

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A story
The church was built in 1798 for the 4th Duke of Gordon, who had relocated the entire village of Fochabers to its current grid-plan site to make room for the expansion of Gordon Castle. The new church was designed to serve the displaced community, and its neoclassical facade — portico, columns, pediment — was a statement of ducal ambition as much as a place of worship.