A view of St Peter's church
Invergowrie Church, or, as it is now commonly called, Dargie Church, dedicated to St Peter stands on a small hill by the Invergowrie burn, it is not known for certain when, or even by whom, the church was built. It has been said that a church stood at Invergowrie as early as 431 A.D. However the tradition is that it was founded by Bonifacius Queretinus in the seventh century who was an Italian priest that came to Scotland with a view to bringing the Scottish Church to adopt the Roman customs. No trace of the original building remains with the current structure presumed to be medieval now standing on the site. The present day church is in ruins, however the masonry appears to be well preserved. Not very far from the end of the inner south wall a Pictish cross slab was built into it and is shown below.
Built also into the outside wall was another stone (above), on which is carved the figures of three men. The stones were removed in 1947 and donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland. Within the present building the south side of the church is the burial-place of the Clayhills of Invergowrie, with the north side being that of the Mylnes of Mylnefield. This section has an ornate iron gateway which is visible on the 1875 view of the building above and the photograph of the present gable below.
Black and white images: The Parish of Longforgan, A sketch of its Church and People by Rev. Adam Philip, M.A. 1875.