St Ringan's Church of Scotland, Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway

This church started as a Meeting House for the Relief Church in 1803 (01?). In 1820 it had become a Reformed Presbyterian Church as the Relief Church had financial problems. The church was refronted in red sandstone on west and north sides in 1870. At the same time hood mouldings were added to windows and the west tower built. In 1876 the Reformed Presbyterian Church united with the Free Church of Scotland and the church became Castle Douglas Macmillan Free Church. The manse was enlarged about this time. In 1900 at the union with the United Presbyterian Church it became Castle Douglas Queen Street United Free Church. In 1923 the north gallery and a shallow chancel added. A west transept in stone and an east transept in brick were also added. In 1923 the church united with St George's and Trinity United Free Churches and the latter closed. St George's Church was retained and Queen Street became the Church hall. In 1928 St George's Church was sold and Queen Street again became a Church as Castle Douglas United Free Church. At the union with the Church of Scotland in 1929 it became St Ringan's Church. The was the church that S R Crockett called "The Kirk on the Hill". In 1929/30 a session house was added to south west. The next union was with Trinity Church in Abercromby Road. This was prior to 1955 and Trinity Church was closed. The hurch was linked with Crossmichael & Parton Church in 1979. This linkage was terminated in 1989 and in 1990 the church united with the original Parish Church, St Andrew's, and the latter closed. 

St. Ringan's Church in Castle Douglas is a town church and is in full ecclesiastical use and in good condition. It used to be a Free Church. The bell in the church's belltower used to belong to Laurieston Church. Researched by A. Penman, compiled by J. Dowling, 11/8/03.

The church is aligned north east/south west with main entrance porch on the north east (say) corner. There are north and south (say) transepts. It is built in red rock-faced sandstone with fair-faced dressings. The roofs are slated. The main windows are all pointed arches of lancet style.

There is a small square tower in the angle between the north wall and the north transept east wall. It is essentiall a stairwell with a ground level entrance with a small doorway and a round-shouldered lintel. Above is a difficult to read datestone. Higher up there is a pair of narrow windows with shouldered lintels. Above that it has three courses of corbels which increase the six - possibly making it a bit top heavy. At this level there are circular openings set in pointed arch gablets. The sides also transform to being octagonal (broached). The octagonal stone spire has pitched triangular gablets on alternate faces. they contain blind round-lobed trefoils.

The north transept gable has two tall windows with hood mouldings. Above is a large cross. Projecting out to the north from the transept is the pitched roofed session house. Ita east wall has a pointed arch entrance withe a recessed rectangular doorway. This is adjacent to the north transept gable. To its north are two rectangular windows. Its north wall also has two rectangular windows.

The nave side walls have two bays with tall windows with hood mouldings. The east gable has three graded lancet windows with hood mouldings.

The entrance porch has a pitchedroof and leads into a lean-to church offices on the east gable. The entrance is a simple pointed arch with splay side and arch mouldings. The east side of this building has been rendered and painted. It contans two rectangular windows. 

The south wall of the nave has been roughcast as has the east wall of the south transept. That wall also has a lean-to entrance porch.

A pipe organ by Ingram & Co was installed in about the 1920s. In the 1950s a three light window had stained glass installed. It depicts Christ flanked by Unitas and Harmonia. In 1992 four stained glass windows were moved from the original Parish Churchand installed in the session house. They were by Margaret Chilton & Marjorie Kemp (c1948/55). They depict St Mary Magdalene, St Margaret of Scotland, The Presentation in the Temple & Christ with Doctors in the Temple.