(The United Presbyterian Church)
I’ve brought this rare print of the old Skelmorlie North Church back to life with a splash of colour.
While many know the red sandstone church on the shore, this white stone landmark at the foot of Station Road is often forgotten. It was demolished in 1973/74, but its history—and particularly its most famous minister—deserves to be remembered accurately.
The “White vs Red” Stone Choice
Built in 1874 (originally as the United Presbyterian Church), the building was a statement of wealth from the local “new money” merchants. The construction records show they deliberately paid a premium of £68 (a significant sum then) to build in blonde/white stone rather than the local red sandstone. This ensured the church would gleam against the dark hillside, visually distinguishing it from the Parish Church down the coast.
The “Tartan Pimpernel” Connection (1961–1968)
The church’s most famous pulpit occupant was Rev. Dr. Donald Caskie, who served as minister here for seven years from 1961 to 1968.
It is a common myth that Caskie stayed until the church closed. In reality, he lived in the manse on Eglinton Terrace for those seven years before moving to his final charge at Monkton (St Cuthbert’s) in Ayrshire. The church union and demolition happened later, in the early 1970s, under a different minister.
Before his quiet years in Skelmorlie, Caskie’s life was extraordinary:
• Codename “Donald Duck”: During WWII, he ran a Seaman’s Mission in Marseille as a front for the Resistance. His British Intelligence codename was “Monsieur Le Canard”.
• The Sewer Escape: He helped mastermind the escape of RAF prisoners from Fort de la Revère near Nice via a sewer tunnel. In one famous incident, the escape was nearly ruined when a “portly RAF Squadron Leader” got wedged tight in the pipe, blocking the line of men behind him!.
• The Death Sentence: Caskie himself was eventually captured by the Gestapo and sentenced to death by firing squad. His life was only saved by the intervention of a German Army pastor, Hans-Helmut Peters, who appealed to Berlin to have the sentence commuted.
What Remains Today
Although the main sanctuary with its 115ft spire was demolished in 1974, the church hall (funded by David Laidlaw in 1885) was saved. It was converted into a private residence and still stands today as “The Kirk House”.
A fascinating layer of village history that is now largely gone.
#SkelmorlieHistory #DonaldCaskie #TartanPimpernel #ScottishArchitecture #LocalHistory #ColourisedHistory
How the North Church would have looked in today’s setting
Wemyss Bay Pier with Skelmorlie Churches in the background
