Churchyard Walk, the Old and St Andrew’s Church, the Steeple and the Sturrock Lamp — one of Montrose’s most familiar little routes has plenty of history packed into it.
There are stairs… and then there are the Kirkie Steps.
If you grew up around Montrose, there is a fair chance you have used the Kirkie Steps without giving them much thought.
They are simply there.
You walk up them. You walk down them. You use Churchyard Walk to get from one side of town to another.
But stop for a minute and look around.
This wee route is one of those places where Montrose does something it does rather well: it puts everyday life right beside hundreds of years of history.
Montrose Old Churchyard/Cemetery
The Kirkie Steps lead into Churchyard Walk.
A path between the living and the past
Churchyard Walk runs through the old churchyard associated with Montrose Old and St Andrew’s Church.
The churchyard contains monuments dating mainly from the mid-17th to early 19th centuries, so when you walk this route you are literally moving through a landscape shaped by generations of Montrosians.
The path divides parts of the old churchyard, and the route has long been a practical way through town.
That is what makes it special.
It is not a grand attraction that you have to queue to enter.
It is a real town pathway that people still use.
The Auld Kirk and the great Steeple
At the heart of the story is Montrose Old and St Andrew’s Church.
The present church was built in 1791, designed by architect David Logan. The earlier tower was replaced, and the magnificent new tower and spire were built between 1832 and 1834 to designs by James Gillespie Graham.
The finished steeple reaches around 220 feet.
And if you have ever stood at the bottom of the Kirkie Steps and looked up, you’ll understand why it dominates the skyline.
There is something about seeing the Steeple from this lower level. It rises above the walls, trees and rooftops, and suddenly the age of the place feels a wee bit more real.
Montrose Old and St Andrew’s Church Steeple (or Montrose Parish Kirk Steeple).
A Bonnie Montrose archive image showing the Churchyard Walk route and the Sturrock Lamp.
Don’t miss the Sturrock Lamp
Now here’s the bit that is easy to walk past.
At the eastern entrance to Churchyard Walk, the gate piers are joined by the cast- and wrought-iron Sturrock Lamp.
It is not just some random old bit of street furniture. It is part of the listed historic setting of the churchyard and gateway.
And yes, it is one of those Montrose details that deserves a second look.
If you are taking photographs, this is the sort of thing I would stop for. Don’t just point the camera at the Steeple.
Look at the walls. Look at the ironwork. Look at the gateway. Look at the lamp.
The little details are often where the good stories are hiding.
The Sturrock Lamp is dated (1890).
The Steeple rising above the surrounding rooftops.
The churchyard has plenty more to say
The churchyard itself is a proper history book in stone.
There are monuments to merchants, sea captains and families connected with the town, with many of the surviving stones dating from the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries.
And the history goes further back than the present church.
Records and archaeological research indicate that a church stood on this site for many centuries. The present building sits on the site of its predecessor, and the old churchyard has been part of Montrose life for generations.
So when you walk through, you are not simply taking a shortcut.
You are walking through a part of the town that has watched Montrose change around it.
A Montrose street at sunset — just another reminder that the town changes character with the light.
A route generations of bairns have known
There is another reason I like the Kirkie Steps.
They are part of everyday Montrose.
For generations, bairns have used these steps and the surrounding streets on their way to school, home, the shops and wherever else they were supposed to be going.
You can almost imagine the conversations that have happened here over the years.
Some probably involved homework.
Some definitely didn’t.
And I would bet more than a few people have sat on these steps for five minutes longer than they were supposed to.
Take your time next time
So next time you are out and about on manoeuvres around Montrose, take a slightly slower look.
Start around the Old and St Andrew’s Church and the Steeple.
Find Churchyard Walk.
Take in the Kirkie Steps.
Stop at the Sturrock Lamp.
Look at the gravestones and the old walls.
Then carry on towards Museum Street and the rest of the town.
It is not a long walk.
But it is packed with history.
And perhaps that is the best thing about Montrose: you don’t always have to go looking for history.
Sometimes you just have to stop walking long enough to notice it.
in, Bonnie Montrose 🌅
#MorethanjustaBook 📚
Fact-check & reference notes
The historical details in this draft have been checked against heritage, local-history and/or official club sources. The wording above is original Bonnie Montrose copy, not copied from those sources.
- Historic Environment Record — Old and New St Andrew’s Church, Montrose: https://her.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/Monument/MAB40040/
- Visit Angus — Montrose Heritage Trail: https://visitangus.com/get-inspired/heritage-trails/montrose-heritage-trail/
- Scotland’s Churches Trust — Montrose Old and St Andrew’s Church: https://www.scotlandschurchestrust.org.uk/church/montrose-old-and-st-andrews-church/
- Trove Scotland — Old Parish Church, Churchyard, East Gateway and Sturrock Lamp: https://www.trove.scot/place/270250
Photo note: Images in this draft were supplied in the Bonnie Montrose working material. Keep any photographer/website credit that appears on an image, and only publish images where you have the right to use them. ©️ Bonnie Montrose 2026.
