St Adamnan’s Church is dedicated to the blessed Eonan (St Adamnan), the 7th century Abbot of Iona and biographer of St Columba and was first mentioned in 1275. After John Knox's sermon against idolatry in St John's Kirk Perth in 1559 the church was damaged and it wasn’t until 1591 that it was rebuilt by the local Robertson family of Lude. With the disestablishment of episcopacy in 1689, the church fell into disrepair but was still able to be used by the Revd. Duncan Stewart to read the Jacobite proclamation in 1715.  Following the failure of the second Jacobite rising in 1746, Episcopalian churches were damaged by government troops and stricter rules reduced the number of people attending a service to four. Just before Christmas in 1756, the 70 year old Revd. Walter Stewart was sentenced to six months in the Perth Tollbooth Prison for holding divine service in his house; his six companions were fined the then enormous sum of £5 each.

After Scottish bishops promised to pray for George III in 1792, the penal statutes were repealed allowing freedom of worship and the church was rebuilt in 1794. The last restoration of the church took place in 1898 and the church in still in use today. Funeral hatchments, diamond shaped plaques depicting the shields and arms of the Robertson family can been seen in the church as well as a beautiful tapestry pew seat, designed and made by local lady, Nancy Cameron.

Picture copyright Euan Nelson and licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence.