Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney


The Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney is one of the seven dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church. Created in 1865, the diocese covers the historic county of Aberdeenshire, and the Orkney and Shetland island groups. It shares with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Aberdeen a Christian heritage that can be traced back to Norman times, and incorporates the ancient Diocese of Orkney, founded in 1035.
The diocese is considered the most conservative of the dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church, and was the only diocese to reject a change in the church's teaching to allow same-sex marriage in 2017.
The first female bishop of the SEC, Anne Dyer, was appointed to the diocese in November 2017 and consecrated and enthroned on 3 March 2018. Her gender, support of same-sex marriage, and the fact that she was not elected by the diocese itself, caused some controversy, and two senior clergy, the Dean and another member of the Cathedral Chapter, resigned their diocesan roles in protest. After further resignations by other people of the cloth, the Westhill Community Church voted to leave the SEC in January 2019.
The diocese has a strong companion link with the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut and the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Samuel Seabury, the first Episcopal bishop outside the British Isles, was consecrated in 1784 by Robert Kilgour, Bishop of Aberdeen, and John Skinner, coadjutor bishop. Clarence Coleridge, suffragan bishop of Connecticut, was consecrated by a Bishop of Aberdeen in 1981; he was elected 13th diocesan bishop of Connecticut in 1993.

Area and population

The diocese covers the historic counties of Orkney, Zetland, Aberdeenshire except the Huntly area, the Banff, Buckie and Cullen areas of Banffshire, and the Banchory and Lower Deeside areas of Kincardineshire.
This total population of approximately 493,000 gives the diocese a ratio of one priest to every 20,500 inhabitants and one church to every 12,000 inhabitants.

List of bishops

List of provosts

List of deans

The following served as Dean of Aberdeen diocese:
The following have served as Dean of Aberdeen and Orkney:
The diocese currently has 23 stipendiary clergy and 40 churches.
BeneficeChurchesLinkFounded Clergy
BanffSt Andrew, Banff1722 J. Paisey
BuckieAll Saints, Buckiec. 1689 J. Paisey
TurriffSt Congan, Turriff1738 -
CuminestownSt Luke, CuminestownC18th -
New PitsligoSt John the Evangelist, New Pitsligo1835 -
StrichenAll Saints, Strichen1861-
FraserburghSt Peter, Fraserburgh1721 -
LongsideSt John the Evangelist, Longside1716 R. O'Sullivan
Old DeerSt Drostan, Old Deer1851R. O'Sullivan
PeterheadSt Peter, Peterhead1699 R. O'Sullivan
Cruden BaySt James the Less, Cruden BayC18th -
EllonSt Mary-on-the-Rock, EllonC18th -
InschSt Drostan, Insch1894A. MacDonald
FyvieAll Saints, Woodhead of Fyvie1849A. MacDonald
OldmeldrumSt Matthew & St George, Oldmeldrum1863-
AlfordSt Andrew, Alford1869M. Blake
AuchindoirSt Mary, AuchindoirJ. Walker
InverurieSt Mary, Inverurie1841J. Walker
KemnaySt Anne, Kemnay1938J. Walker
WhiterashesAll Saints, Whiterashes1858J. Walker
Aberdeen St Andrew's Cathedral, Aberdeen1817I. Poobalan
BieldsideCarpenters Arms Fellowship 4 EveryoneG. Bowyer
BieldsideSt Devenick, Bieldside1894 G. Bowyer
Aberdeen St Clement, Aberdeen1960sJ. Lyon
Aberdeen St Ninian, Aberdeen1936J. Lyon
Aberdeen St James the Less, Aberdeen1804R. Green
J. Souter
Aberdeen St John, Aberdeen1720 J. Holden
Aberdeen St Margaret of Scotland, Gallowgate1867 A. Nimmo
Aberdeen St Mary, Carden Place1863 T. Taggart
J. Hobbs
Cove BaySt Mary, Cove Bay1864-
BucksburnSt Machar, Bucksburn1874 D. Heddle
AboyneSt Thomas, Aboyne1909V. Hancock
BallaterSt Kentigern, BallaterC19th V. Hancock
BallaterSt Ninian's Chapel, Braemar1895V. Hancock
Kincardine O'NeilChrist Church, Kincardine O'Neil1866-
BanchorySt Ternan, Banchory1851L. Downs
BurravoeSt Colman, Burravoe1898N. Brice
LerwickSt Magnus, Lerwick1861 N. Brice
KirkwallSt Olaf, Kirkwall1876D. Dawson
StromnessSt Mary, Stromness1885 T. Miller

Former congregation

Closed churches in the diocese area