St Nicholas Buccleuch Church

About St Nicholas Buccleuch Church

The main body of today’s church was completed in 1420 and enlarged in 1475 by Sir James Douglas, 4th Lord of Dalkeith and 1st Earl of Morton. It was used by Cromwell’s troops in 1650 as a billet and stables for their horses during their occupation of southern Scotland. During renovations in 1960 a small coffin containing the remains of the infant son of General Monck (Cromwell’s Military Governor of Scotland) was found. The arrival of the Rev. Wm. Calderwood, a notorious witchfinder, as parish minister in 1659 led to a huge increase in the numbers being accused of witch craft and trials were held weekly in Dalkeith. The church was rebuilt between 1851–54 with a new steeple but this had to be replaced after a fire in 1885 which also sadly destroyed the ‘cutty’ stool, where sinners in the congregation were forced to sit and repent.