Page 26 - LOTN Spring Issue 52 2023

FAITH AND CULTURE

Churches of the

Diocese of Aberdeen

Sacred Heart, Torry, Aberdeen
their way to Aberdeen and further north, if delayed at
the ferry crossing due to bad weather.
The Church of IV creating it a “Burgh of Barony” with its own powers of
Around 1495, Torry was granted a charter from James
trading and appointing Burgesses. This charter decreed
the Sacred Heart, a weekly market on Fridays and a yearly fair to last for
four days, starting on St Fittick’s Day (30th August).
Unfortunately for Torry, these advantages were short lived
Torry, Aberdeen because within forty years of the charter Bishop Dunbar
had built his bridge over the River Dee at a point two miles
above the village, thus effectively eliminating Torry as an
important approach to the City of Aberdeen.
BY OLIVER R HUMPHRIES FRIAS AND Despite this set back, Torry must have attracted benefit
PROFESSOR JOHN R HUME from the prosperity of its larger neighbour, gaining
employment for its inhabitants when fishing was bad
Under the aegis of the late Archbishop Emeritus Mario Conti from the shipyards (especially during the “clipper” period)
we continue our series celebrating the rich variety of church and other industries. However, it was the coming of Trawl
buildings in the Diocese. Fishing in 1882 which brought new life to Torry. Previous
In this issue, it's the turn of the Church of the Sacred to this, the fishermen of Torry had difficulty in taking their
Heart, Aberdeen. Described by Historic Scotland as “Early product to market in Aberdeen despite the construction
Provence-Auvergne Romanesque” this is a little piece of the of the Chain or Suspension bridge across the Dee in 1830,
Mediterranean in the Torry area of Aberdeen and one of the and it was realised after the ferry-boat disaster in 1876 that
finest looking Catholic churches within the City. The following a new bridge over the river at a more convenient location
article is based on the scale drawings and text of the late Oliver was necessary to link Aberdeen to Torry and the south. To
R. Humphries FRIAS to whom are dedicated the remainder of satisfy this requirement the new Victoria Bridge was built
the articles in this series. and opened in 1881.
With the rise of Trawl Fishing the building of the Fish
The Burgh and the Church

he old village of Torry was located on the south
shore of the River Dee close to where it meets
the sea. Separated as it was from the active
Ttrading port of Aberdeen by the river, for many
centuries Torry existed quietly pursuing fishing as its
staple occupation. Until joined to the City of Aberdeen
in the municipal extension of 1891, it was simply one of
the several village communities in the parish of Nigg.
In earlier days, Torry and all its lands belonged to the
Abbey of Arbroath and, since 1233, had been a place
of pilgrimage, the well at St Fittick’s Church having
curative powers. Further, the Abbot of Arbroath is
said to have had a seat at Torry, it being an important
stopping point for the convenience of travellers on Line drawing of Sacred Heart, Torry by John Hume

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