Anwoth Old Kirk

While it no longer has a roof and looks more like a shell, the ruins of Anwoth Old Kirk are still well worth a visit. Built around 1626, this old parish church was the ministry of the celebrated theologian Samuel Rutherford, who served there from 1627 to 1636, when he was banned from preaching and exiled.  

Rutherford was a pastor, political thinker, and a key figure in the 17th-century Covenanter movement in the country. One of his most famous works, Lex, Rex (1644), challenged the divine rights of kings and presented an early theory of constitutional government that had a profound influence on later political philosophers. Today, he is perhaps best known for his letters, a collection of pastoral correspondence gathered and published posthumously.

The church was dismantled in 1826 when a new one was completed along the road.

More recently, horror fans might recognize the Kirk and the old schoolhouse opposite it from the 1973 cult horror film The Wicker Man. When visiting the area, one can see why this location was chosen for filming. It is a beautiful, peaceful pastoral setting, but amongst the overgrown graves, a niggling sense of dread slowly creeps in.