Kirkmichael, Tinwald & Torthorwald Church of Scotland, Torthorwald, Dumfries

The first church was probably built sometime between 1180 and 1220 and was annexed to Holyrood Abbey (c NY 03611 78245). It was certainly built prior to 1274 as it appears as Toethocalde in the Bagimond Roll. William Carlisle embellished the church in between 1418 & 1462. Prior to 1504 the church had been annexed to the Monastery at Fail in Ayrshire. Following the Reformation in 1560 it continued as a Parish Church. A manse was built or perhaps extended in 1644. Alterations and repairs were carried out on the church in 1730. The manse was replaced in 1738. In 1782 a newchurch was built to the west and this church demolished probably to free up space for burials. At this point the Duke of Queensberry was the patron. The church was enlarged in 1791 and again in 1809. A female industrial school was built in 1868 and converted to a hall prior to 1911. A red sandstone vestry was added to the west in 1898. About 1935 the hall was extended to the north. In 1959 the church was linked with Mousewald Church and in 1981 it was linked with Kirkmaichael Church with Tinwald Church. Sometime after 2000 Kirkmichael, Tinwald and Torthorwald Churches were united.

The church is a T-plan church aligned anticlockwise of north/south with an east wing. It is built in random rubble with fair-faced red sandstone dressings except for the vestry/porch on the west which is in hammered red sandstone.  The main building has been painted white. The main roof is piend and the east wing gabled. Both roofs are slated.

The west wall has two large round-headed windows either side of the vestry/porch. The latter has a simple bevelled lower doorway on the north wall and a rectangular window with similar mouldings on the west face. Adjacent to the nave south wall are stairs up to a doorway similar to the lower one. This is located on the north wall and on on the west wall is a tallish round-headed window. There is a smalller round-headed upper window on the south wall.

The north gable has a simple rectangular doorway with stairs up to it. Above is a small circular window.

The east wing has large round-headed windows on its north and south sides and on its east gable there is a full width single storey lean-to extension. The latter has a red sandstone entrance wall on its noth side with a simple rectangular doorway. This extension has two domestic stryle windows on its east wall. The gable of the east wing has also a small circular window which has been infilled probably when the extension was built. This gable has an open belfry with and ogee roof and ball finial.

The south gable matches that on the north except that the stairs project out rather than abut the gable.