About
Among mature trees half a mile east of Duffus village, near Elgin, stands a kirk recorded in 1190 as the Church of the Blessed Peter at Duffus, probably founded by Freskin de Moray, who also built Duffus Castle 2 miles away. It was badly damaged in the Wars of Independence, when Edward I gave the rector 20 oak trees for repairs, and rebuilt for Presbyterian worship in the late 1700s, probably on the medieval lower walls. The stone-vaulted porch has a pointed doorway, a row of rosettes and a keystone with the arms of Alexander Sutherland, rector in 1524; the tower stump has lancet windows like those of the castle and a holy water stoup inside. In the kirkyard stands a medieval cross of the 1300s more than 4 m high on a stepped base, one of the few medieval market crosses left in Scotland, its head now weathered. Keys are kept at the Old Manse, signed at the site.
Check today’s timesPick a day for times and prices
- Until 31 Mar
- Daily 10:00–16:00, last entry 15:30
- From 1 Apr
- Daily 09:30–17:30, last entry 17:00
Today, Saturday 24 October
- St Peter's Church, Duffus10:00 – 16:00last entry 15:30
Free entry
Opening times may change at short notice.
1 April to 30 September daily 9.30am to 5.30pm; 1 October to 31 March daily 10am to 4pm; last entry 30 minutes before closing. Historic Scotland: 'St Peter's Kirk is free to visit. The keys are available from the Old Manse. Please follow the signs at the site for key keeper.' The page showed 'Open today' on 21 October 2026.
The kirk is a roofless ruin in a walled kirkyard among mature trees, entered by a heavy gate on wheels. The tall medieval cross stands among the gravestones and table tombs, many carved with skulls and crossbones; the vaulted porch, the tower stump and the holy water stoup are the church's medieval features. No toilets or other facilities.
Photo: The roofless walls of St Peter's Kirk, Duffus, with its pointed porch doorway and bellcote gable, behind table tombs and gravestones in the sunlit kirkyard. Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Duffus_-_Old_Kirk_-_geograph.org.uk_-_8116195.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
Reviews & Tips
No reviews yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience!
