Chapel of St Lesmo

An eccentric private chapel on the right bank of the Water of Tanar, opposite Glen Tanar House, 2¼ miles (3.6 km) southeast of Dinnet. The Chapel of St. Lesmo was built by Sir William Cunliffe Brooks and operates as an independent Chapel within the Scottish Episcopal Church. It was consecrated on 15th November 1871 by the Bishop of Aberdeen and Orkney and is dedicated to St. Lesmo, a little known hermit who lived in Glen Tanar more than 1000 years ago. Most-likely the work of Cunliffe Brooks' favoured architect George Truefitt, the Chapel is rectangular in plan and incorporates the ruins of the former House of Braeloine, particularly notable in the arched entrance. The spaces between the stones of the rubble walls are filled with small pebbles - a technique known as cherry-cocking. Originally provided with a thatched roof, this was later replaced with slate. The rafters are fashioned from whole trees and the joists are made from curiously-twisted branches of locally-grown Scots Pine. The altar steps are of pink and grey Glen Tanar granite, as is the floor of the passage, and pointed-arch windows feature pleasant stained-glass. The interior includes simple furnishings, while deer antlers hang from the roof and the seats have deerskin coverings. A new organ was installed in 1997. The Chapel is owned by The Glen Tanar Charitable Trust. A small graveyard to the south is the burial ground for the Lairds of Glen Tanar, including Sir William Cunliffe Brooks.


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