Site Content

Muthill has been a religious centre for many centuries having been originally founded by Culdees monks. 

The remains of the old church date back to the 12th century and include a Norman tower. There was some rebuilding in or about 1425. In the nave of the church is the tomb of the 1st Earl of Concraig, one Sir Maurice Drummond, who died in 1362. His daughter is also buried there. After the reformation this became the Parish Church. Worship continued there until it fell into very bad disrepair after the Napoleonic Wars, the congregation built a new church, which is today’s church. 

The new building was designed by Gillespie Graham, nicknamed “Pinnacle Graham" by those less enthusiastic for sprockets of the 19th century gothic style. Both the church and the pulpit share the sprocket design. The building began in 1826 and was finished in 1828. 

The first recorded minister of the parish was Thomas Drummond who started preaching in 1564. Another minister, John Davidson, was one of forty-two who signed a protest to Parliament against the introduction of Episcopacy. He was removed from the charge in 1590. 

Further down the line of ministers came James Inglis who came to Muthill in 1689. He refused to preach the Proclamation of Estates and to pray for William and Mary, King and Queen at the time. He was brought before the Privy Council and was deprived of the charge. James Inglis then went to preach in St. James Episcopal Church, which is just across the road from the Parish Church today. These things happened in 1693. For the nine years following there was no minister. William Chalmers came to be the minister in December 1702 but he left again in June 1703. It seems Muthill was too much for him. 

In 1704 William Hally, son of the Laird of Nether-Kinnedder in Fife became minister, though his father disinherited him for adherence to Presbyterianism. He was inducted in the churchyard. The church was retained by an intruder assisted the parishioners who were armed with swords and staves. They threw 

stones at the ministers when they attempted to enter the church. Mr Hally did eventually win the parishioners over, maybe in part due to the fact that the Earl of Perth was in exile. But his problems did not end there for in 1715-1716 Muthill was burnt to the ground by soldiers who were in quarters at Drummond Castle. His Grandmother-in-law, who was lying on her death-bed was not allowed to die in peace in the manse. They carried the old lady outside on a pile of blankets, which they laid in deep snow on the front lawn and then set fire to the manse. Once the old lady had died, the soldiers took all the blankets she was lying on and those that covered her. The soldiers went on their way burning the village as they went. The soldiers belonged to the Earl of Mar - they were Jacobites. Mr Hally was paid £18 6s 2d compensation a few years later. In the years following, two ministers were father and son. James Scott's second wife was the daughter of William Hally. It seems that even in those days sons followed their father into their profession. 

Further on down the years the national church split into two. This building became the Old Parish Church and another was built at the other end of Drummond Street, heading towards Crieff, and was named St John's Free Church. There were then two Presbyterian Churches in the village and an Episcopalian Church. The Union of the two Presbyterian Churches in Scotland took place in 1929, although the Parish Church and St John's Free Church in the village did not reunite until 1947. St John's Church then became the Parish Church Hall but sadly it fell into disrepair and had to be pulled down. 

The Parish Church also needed repair and in the early eighties this was done. During the restoration, part of the nave area towards the back of the church was made into a meeting room. Known as the Bruce Hall, it was named after Rev Duncan Bruce, minister at the time. 

In 1984 Muthill Parish Church was linked with Trinity Gask and Kinkell Churches, sadly Trinity Gask church had to close in 2023 but we are very thankful for those members who have now joned us at Muthill Parish.