Birnie Kirk is believed to be built on a site originally occupied by the Celtic Church and was dedicated to Saint Brendan the Navigator. The Church still holds regular services and is a popular venue for visitors.
The Kirk may have been the first cathedral in the diocese, and was built about 1140 c., during the reign of David I. The fourth Bishop of Moray, Simon de Tonci, who died in 1184, is thought to be buried at Birnie. It is a plain building with a Norman Arch between the chancel and the nave. In 1734 the west gable was rebuilt and larger windows were added (south side). In 1890 further repairs were made, but it has retained a similar style of the Early Christian Basilican Churches of southern Italy.
