Urquhart, Moray

Urquhart (Scottish Gaelic: Urchard) is a small village in Moray, Scotland with a population of 420 (as at the 2001 Census). It is approximately five miles east of Elgin, and between the villages of Lhanbryde and Garmouth.

History

In farmland on the northern part of the village lies the a small but well-preserved stone circle near which flint and stone implements of neolithic age have been found, as well as some fine gold armlets.

In 1125 David I, King of Scots, founded a priory, as a cell of the Benedictine Dunfermline Abbey, on low ground just to the ENE of the village. This was an attempt to 'introduce civilisation' to the local native population of Celts. However, in 1454 the Benedictine's abandoned Urquhart Priory, moving instead to Pluscarden Abbey, SW of Elgin, after the merger of the two had been agreed by a bull of Pope Nicholas V. The buildings soon started to fall into disrepair and decay and in 1654 the site had become a ruin and the remaining building materials were removed to be used in the construction of a granary in the nearby village of Garmouth and in the repair of the manse and churchyard wall.

The first reference to a church in Urquhart, which was dedicated to Saint Margaret, appears in a deed of 1237. This church fell into disrepair early in the 19th Century and in 1843 was replaced with the building of a new Parish Church on Gashill just to the north of the village. At around the same time, the remains of the original church were used to build a new Free Church of Scotland at the east end of the village. In 1938 the 2 churches were united and in the mid 1940's the St. Margaret's Free Church and manse were sold and the proceeds used to refurbish the St. Margaret's Church Hall. Two beautiful stained glass windows from the Free Church and a Celtic Cross, thought to have come from the priory, were incorporated into the building. In 1988 the Parish Church was closed and united with Saint Andrew's Church in the neighbouring parish of Lhanbryde. With the closure the communion table, baptismal font, and several chairs were placed in St Margaret's Hall. The Parish Church and manse were sold, the former now converted to a bed and breakfast and St. Margaret's Hall is now used as the village place of worship, with services being held there on the last Sunday of each month.

In 1884 a station was opened in Urquhart on the Great North of Scotland Railway (GNSR) Moray Coast line. This saw the village become more attractive as a place to live with people working elsewhere along the railway line, especially in Elgin. The railway line was closed in 1968 as a result of the 'Beeching Axe'.

Economy

The village remains an attractive place to live for people working in Elgin and elsewhere in the local area. With the closure of the village shop the only amenity is a small public house, the Royal Oak.