A compleat chyme

The oldest peal of bells in Scotland

The 8 bells of St Andrew's and St George's Church were installed in 1788 when the spire was built. The are the oldest complete peal of bells in Scotland, and the only Georgian bells, with a unique inscription “William & Thomas Mears late Lester Pack and Chapman.”

Caroline Oliphant, Lady Nairne (1766-1845) is said to have based her folk song "Caller Herrin" on the peal of St Andrew's bells.

In 1903 the swing of the bells was judged to be dangerous and they were converted to Ellacombe chiming. The bells fell silent in 2002, when the fabric of their frame deteriorated, and the bells were later removed from the spire.

2006 Bells Restoration

Following active fundraising and generous grants and donations from several trusts and individuals including the Heritage Lottery Fund we raised the £160,000 necessary to restore the bells to full circle ringing. The new bells were dedicated at the 11am service on Sunday 26th November 2006.  

You can read more about the restoration on the website of the Scottish Association of Change Ringers here

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