Finely situated on one of the most beautiful reaches of the Tay, a
little below the Linn of Camsie and opposite the village of Stanley,
this ruined church, with its churchyard, occupies the end of a plateau
which slopes suddenly down to the river on the north side, and to a deep
[Illustration: FIG. 1444.--Cambusmichael Church. Plan.]
ravine on the east; so that, like most churches bearing the name of St.
Michael, it stands on a height. The building, as will be seen from the
Plan (Fig. 1444) and the view (Fig. 1445), is still in a fair state of
preservation, although it is quite evident, on the spot, that the trees
which crowd the inside (but which are not shown on the sketch) will soon
work the destruction of the walls. One great trunk has half obtruded
itself into the heart of the wall at the doorway, and has so burst the
wall that the doorway and the whole of the south-west corner will
probably soon come to the ground. Another tree has toppled over the
upper stone of the belfry, which lies not yet broken to pieces.
The church is finely built, and is well worth some little attention. It
is of small dimensions, measuring on the outside 50 feet 5 inches by
[Illustration: FIG. 1445.--Cambusmichael Church.]
20 feet 6 inches, and on the inside 43 feet 10 inches by 15 feet. The
doorway, which is in the usual place on the south side near the west
end, is round-arched with a wide splay, and is built with large stones.
There
[Illustration: FIG. 1446.--Cambusmichael Church. Centre Window.]
were probably three windows, all on the south side. One adjoining the
doorway is lost where the wall is ruined, and another at the east end
has only the sill remaining. The centre window (Fig. 1446) is complete;
it is 5 inches wide with a slight chamfer on the edge, and with the
opening on the inside splayed out to 3 feet 5 inches wide. An ambry
occupies the usual position in the north wall. Both of the end walls
have a set-off at the level of the eaves, as shown by Fig. 1445. The
projecting eaves course and this set-off coincide, and their splays are
very simply worked out (see Fig. 1446). The belfry on the west gable is
a pre-Reformation example of a type which became very common in
Presbyterian times. Below the belfry there is a small splayed slit with
a segmental arched lintel. The east gable is terminated with a cross
with a massive gableted base.