Anwoth Old Kirk

About Anwoth Old Kirk

Anwoth Parish has had a church on this site since around 1150. This church was completed in 1826 and was used as the Parish church for exactly 200 years when a new Church was built a few hundred metres away.

The first minister of the new church was Roxburgh born minister, Samuel Rutherford. Rutherford was to rise quickly within Scottish theologian circles. The 17th Century was one of great upheaval in the church and wider society. Rutherford was to write many Letters and Academic articles on the role of Church and theological matters. Rutherford was minister for 13 years before going on to become Professor of Divinity at the University of St Andrews. There is a monument to Samuel Rutherford on the hill which overlooks the old kirk.

The Church gained some notoriety in the 1970s when it was used extensively in the filming of the 1973 cult classic movie, The Wickerman. The film revolves around a fictional island which moves from Christianity to an extreme form of Paganism. The Old Kirk is used for the graveyard scenes and the famous maypole scene. Many movie fans still visit the ruined church due to its close association with this movie.