About

There has been a place of worship on the site of the Parish Church for at least a thousand years and possibly for considerably more. The earliest written reference comes from the time of MacBeth, around 1050, when the Bishop of St Andrews gifted Markinch church and its lands to the Culdee monks (Celi Dé) of Loch Leven. We do not know what this earlier church or any of its predecessors looked like but it may have shared the Pictish name Mo-dhrust or St Drostans.
The tower that we see today was later built by the MacDuff Earls of Fife, probably in the first half of the 12th century. It is a fine example of Romanesque architecture and its quality reflects the importance of Markinch and nearby Dalginch as the capital place of Fife before Cupar developed that role. Markinch Parish Church is a special place. It may be the oldest building in Scotland that has been used continuously since it was built.

Markinch is a Gateway on The Fife Pilgrim Way. The church is on this route and provides refreshment and toilet facilities to walkers. It is open to visitors from 10.30am to 4.30pm daily from Easter to October and guided tours are available.

This location is part of the Augmented Reality trail In the Footsteps of Kings. Download the App and follow Jess the Jester on a Fife adventure.