In 2017 Evanton Community Trust undertook a community project investigating Kiltearn Old Kirk with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Kiltearn Community Council, Archaeology Scotland and Clan Munro Association. Around 50 participants explored old documents and maps in libraries, archives and online, recorded inscriptions and photographed all gravestones in the old kirkyard, undertook a full photographic record of the kirk and did a standing building survey, and learned how to do family history searches and then investigated names thrown up in research and gravestone recording. The group then produced a display and text for a signboard. This binder contains resources collected during the project.

The research was led by Susan Kruse of ARCH (Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands), with archaeologist Lynne McKeggie leading the standing building survey and Anne Fraser of Highland Archives providing the family history sessions. Iain Clark and Catriona Fraser provided sessions for Kiltearn Primary School.

The historical research revealed far more information than expected. The Munro of Foulis archives, deposited with the National Records of Scotland, are available at Highland Archive Centre, along with the Kirk Session Records. Further archives at Foulis Castle were examined by participants. From these and other published sources we were able to build up a picture of the church and vicinity. Although the church now is isolated near the shore, documents show in the 1500s it was part of a thriving hamlet, with ale house, mill and crofts.

A full photographic survey of the kirk was produced during the standing building survey module, with the pictures submitted to the Highland HER and available in digital format at the Cornerstone Café in Evanton. A plan was also produced and elevations of the east walls of the church. A copy of the reports are on the ARCH web site http://www.archhighland.org.uk/library.asp, in the Kiltearn Old Kirk folder within the ARCH Projects Reports folder.

An information board has now been placed outside of the Old Kirk -click on the thumbnail below to view