St Columba’s Church
Although Banchory is referenced in a Charter of 1324, it did not really develop as a town until Victorian times and the coming of the railway in 1853. In the early days of the town the Catholic community probably looked to Aboyne for service. St Columba’s, the youngest of the Catholic churches on Deeside, was opened on 29th October, 1931 when ‘a goodly gathering of the faithful was present as Dr Bennett, Bishop of Aberdeen, accompanied by a large number of his clergy, solemnly blessed the new building’.
The building of the church was made possible by the bequest of the late Mr Charles Stephen Leslie of Balquhain and Fetternear who died in 1916, leaving his estate at Auchinhove to the Bishop of Aberdeen. The estate was sold and the money invested in Trust Funds, producing an annual income of almost £200. The object of the bequest was that income should accumulate until there was sufficient to build a new church and presbytery at Banchory-Ternan and to form an endowment for the support of a resident priest.
The first step in carrying out the bequest was taken in 1927 when the ground on which the church now stands was bought. For the moment it appeared that nothing further could be done as some time would have to elapse before sufficient income would accumulate to allow the building to commence. Fortunately, two legacies left for diocesan needs at the discretion of the Bishop, the one by Mr John Gruer and the other by Mr Caithness Brodie, together with a few other donations made it possible to begin building in 1930. However, for the purchase of the cottage which was to serve as the presbytery money had to be borrowed.
The church is built of Hill of Fare pink granite to the plans of a Mr Devlin A.R.I.B.A. Its most striking feature is the circular stained glass window located at a high level in the West wall. It is divided into three segments to represent the Holy Trinity. Each segment contains the symbol of a saint with St Columba represented by the dove, St Andrew by his Saltire Cross and St Margaret by the crowned white Scottish rose. A setting sun shining through this powerful window with its jewel colours projects a glorious light onto the the Sanctuary.
