The United charge of St Andrews-Lhanbryd and Urquhart came into being in November 1988, following the departure of Rev David Lunan from St Andrews-Lhanbryd and the retiral of Rev Stanley Forsyth from Urquhart.
On tracing the history of Urquhart Church, first mentioned in a deed of 1237, we find that the original Parish Church, dedicated to St Margaret fell into disrepair early in the 19th Century, and was replaced by the church on Gashill in 1843. The Free Church members built the church at the East End of the village from stones from the former Parish Church, around the same time. The two churches were united in 1938, and in the mid 1940s the St Margaret’s Free Church and manse were sold, the proceeds being used to refurbish St Margaret’s Church Hall. Two beautiful stained glass windows from the Free Church and a Celtic Cross, thought to have come from the Priory founded in Urquhart in 1125, were incorporated into the building. When the Parish Church closed in 1988, the Communion table, Baptismal Font, and several chairs were placed in St Margaret’s Hall.
The first reference to a church in Lhanbryde was in 1225 – St Bride’s Church in Walkers Crescent. This building became a ruin around 1783. Around the same time, the church at Kirkhill, in the Parish of St Andrews, was burned to the ground. These churches were replaced by the present building, and the parishes renamed St Andrews-Lhanbryd. Around 1930, a new vestry and session room were built on; around 1960 the small hall was added; and to celebrate the Bicentenary in 1984, a large hall was added.
Following the union of the two churches in 1988, the church and manse at Urquhart were sold, with St Margaret’s Hall being retained as our place of worship in Urquhart. The church formerly known as St Andrews-Lhanbryd became the St Andrews-Lhanbryd and Urquhart Parish Church.