Avoch Parish Church

Set on the hillside, this Gothic-style church commands fine views over the pretty fishing village of Avoch. Built on a medieval site, the present building dates from the 1870s although it incorporates a rare pre-Reformation sacrament house or aumbry, built into the vestry wall. (An aumbry is a recessed cupboard for storing the cup and plate used in the celebration of mass). The aumbry dates from c.1500 and may have come from the chapel at nearby Ormond Castle or it may have been installed by Abbot Robert Reid of Kinloss Abbey. In the Middle Ages the church at Avoch was part of the Abbey's property.

The churchyard contains some early gravestones which were noted in the 19^th century. It also contains many fisher folk graves, reflecting the village's past history. Among these, are memorials to 14 fishwives who tragically lost their lives as they were being ferried out to catch the boat to Inverness. The year was 1871 and they were on their way to the town to sell fish.

One of Avoch's more famous residents, Sir Alexander Mackenzie, is also buried in the churchyard. This intrepid explorer left for Canada in 1779 and became the first white man to travel coast to coast across North America. The Mackenzie River is named after him.