St Nidan's Church was built in 1677
The ruins of St Nidan's Church are just down the hill from the Midmar church at the side of the main A Aberdeen to Tarland road.
St Nidan
Christianity was brought to Midmar by St Nidan, who was a cousin and disciple of St Kentigern. Kentigern was widely travelled in Britain and had founded monasteries as far apart as Wales and Glasgow and met both St David and St Columba. He was very much loved and in Scotland was given the name 'Mungo' which means 'dear friend'. he became Bishop of Cumbria and after his death in 603AD he was buried in Glasgow Cathedral which is named after him. Shortly after 574AD St Kentigern and St Nidan et out on a mission to bring Christianity to the Picts and Nidan left his name also at Invernochery in Strathdon.
St. Nidan’s Church 1677
The ruin that we see is the second church to be built on the site. This second church was built in 1677 exactly where the first had been and was named in St Nidan's memory.
Christianity in Midmar
The people in Midmar became Christians in the 6th Century as a result of Nidan's mission and have remained faithful through all the generations, so that when St. Nidan's church was beyond repair they built another church; Midmar Parish Church - where we worship today.
‘Cunningar Motte’
11th - 12th Century Motte
- he original Midmar Castle was a Norman Castle of ‘motte’ construction standing on the Cunningar Hill near to the site of St Nidan’s Church.
- This castle would have been of timber construction on top of a mound of earth surrounded by a moat.
- The castle was close to the original 6th century church which was the predecessor to St. Nidan’s. This was common as in Norman organisation civil and church life were closely linked.
- It was owned by the Baronial Lord of Midmar, Adam Brown, sometime in the 13th century. Adam Brown was a supporter of William Wallace and was killed fighting alongside Wallace at the battle of Falkirk in 1298.
- The barony passed to Patrick Ogilvie in 1422 and Sir Alexander Gordon of Abergeldie in 1468.
- The association between church and castle was severed at the end of the 16th century by which time the castle had fallen into disuse and ruin.