Alexander Grant

Alexander was born in Aberlour. He was the son of George Grant and Janet Donaldson. His father was the brother of Rev. Alexander Grant, late minister of Glenrinnes who died in Elgin in 1806.

As an almost penniless young man he travelled to the West Indies where he amassed a vast fortune as a merchant and enslaver in Jamaica. He also received a huge compensation payment from the British Government when slavery was abolished.

He returned to Britain and stayed in his London house in Arlington Street before moving back to Aberlour in 1838. He purchased the Aberlour estate from the Gordon Family who held the estate for many generations.

Alexander commissioned the building of the present Aberlour House for himself but died in 1854 before the house was finished. On his death, his estate was inherited by his favourite niece, 20 year old Margaret Gordon Macpherson, who changed her name by the addition of the name Grant in 1854, under the will of Alexander Grant.

The Church Clock Tower

Completed in 1840, the Tower has had a one or two memorable moments over the years. The most devastating event was the fire of Monday morning, 7th January, 1861. The fire started as a result of the overheating of the vestry, the fire spread rapidly, and the church was completely destroyed – apart from the Tower. The fire blackening can still be seen on the tower stones and some of the stones that were reused to rebuild the church in the Norman style.

The tower was not on fire, but in it were stored several important documents. The minister (Rev. Dr. Sellar) shouted to the beadle (George James McWilliam), “up ye go and save what you can.”

To which instruction James responded:

“Up ye go yersel. For years ye hae been prayin' for a wall o fire roond yir Zion, and ye hae gotten it this nicht.”

There was one hero that night, The Banffshire Journal reported:

Destruction of the Church of Aberlour by Fire

The Banffshire Journal of yesterday reports the destruction of the church of Aberlour by fire on the morning of Monday last. But for the strenuous exertions of a number of people on the spot, among whom, noted for daring but cool intrepidity was Mr. Hugh Wilson of the Nairnshire Telegraph, the whole would have been consumed. Mr W. was instrumental in saving the church tower and clock. The fire is supposed to have originated about the flues which warmed the building.

The Missing Clock

Visitors to the Village are often puzzled by the sight of only three clocks on the four sided tower and the empty clock portal on the river side face of the tower. The answer is very straightforward and Scottish. When asked for a contribution towards the installation of the clocks and bells that had been gifted to the church, residents on the far side of the Spey refused to contribute. The parish boundary between Aberlour and Knockando Parishes runs down the middle of the Spey at this point, so the Aberlour church was not their concern, and their parish church was on their side of the river. They saw little need to help fund Aberlour's clocktower.

It was therefore decided that Aberlour would literally not give them the time of day, and the portal remains empty to this day.