Ruined Family Chapel, Scotland

This decaying Ruined Family Chapel is located in Scotland. Inside is simple and relatively plain; the beauty here comes from the natural decay. Years of neglect are taking their toll. The roof is collapsing in several places. Dried leaves and twigs litter the floor, a dusting atop rubble and fallen plaster. I visited this location in the winter of 2022.

History and notable features of this Ruined Family Chapel

This private family chapel located in the grounds of a manor house. Built in the early 19th century, these grounds were once the site of an earlier parish church. The walls are pale stone, the roof is made of traditional slate. Overall the chapel is a simple, rectangular building. There is a porch and a small belltower at the western end of the building. The interior of the chapel is relatively plain, with a white-painted vaulted ceiling. There is a little church organ, tucked away in an alcove on the northern side of the chapel facing the side entrance. Above the site of the altar there is a stained glass window depicting the Virgin Mary. At the front of the chapel there are two pulpits/podiums, either side of the altar area.

The chapel still has the old wooden pews, although these have been a little damaged by the ceiling collapse. The altar is either buried under collapsed ceiling, or may have been removed. The old leaded windows are in a precarious state, several have either fully or partially fallen out of their frames.

The chapel is the resting place of a famous Scottish artist and songwriter. They were interred here in the mid 1800s, in the adjacent burial ground where they joined several other family members in the small cemetery. The cemetery is a beautiful and peaceful place, shaded by old trees.