16 Weem Parish Church

The church was built in 1875 by Sir Robert Menzies of Menzies as Saint David’s Episcopal Church for the Menzies family.

After the death of the last of the Menzies of Weem line in 1918 and the break up of the estate, the church was acquired by the Church of Scotland as the new Parish Church. The stained glass windows are dedicated in memory of members of the Menzies family.

Until 1965, all Parish Ministers of Weem were required to be Gaelic-speakers. In 1965, the Parishes of Weem and Dull were united. Services were held in both churches each Sunday until early in the 1980s. Dull church was sold in 1989 to the Scottish Knights Templar and has subsequently been re-sold and acquired privately.

During the construction of the MacDonald Room and Vestry in 1993/94, the old well of Weem was rediscovered and has now been fully restored and can be seen at the rear of the present church building.

The organ in use today is the original instrument, designed, built and installed in June 1875 for the princely sum of £366 9s 0d by J.W. Walker & Sons of London, now based in Suffolk. In November 1876, additional musical stops were added at a cost of some £63 9s 8d.

This fine historic instrument of the late 19th century, with Swell and Great manuals and full Pedal board, has a tracker and coupler action throughout and involves approximately 850 separate movements. However, this mechanical action creates a heavy feel to the keyboard and, as a consequence, considerable pressure is required in the playing of the keys. At the time of installation, the organ air bellows were hand-pumped – a capability still available to this day – although in the mid-1900s an electrically driven air pump was installed to power the bellows, thus making life a lot easier for some church members. The organ underwent a major refurbishment in 1994.

There had previously been a church building in Weem.

With the eventual cessation of the Auld Kirk (St. Cuthbert’s) as a place of worship in 1839, Sir Neil Menzies had granted a site for a new Parish Church halfway between the old Toll House and Weem. This new church, erected in 1835 by Sir Robert Menzies of Menzies at a cost of some £700, and with seating for some 600 people, was in use until July 1921 when it then became the Menzies Clan Society Hall. It was re-roofed in 1930, but subsequently fell into disrepair and was eventually demolished. The Manse remains as a private house.