Birnie Kirk is a 12th century parish church, which was the first cathedral of the Bishop of Moray and so is one of the oldest in Scotland to have been in continuous use.

It is thought that the Norman building was built to replace an earlier, 6th century, Celtic church. The building is rectangular with a square, short chancel, which is separated from the nave by a rounded Norman chancel arch.

The kirk was the seat of the Bishops of Moray from 1107 to 1184. Until 1322 when the seat moved to Elgin, it served as a cathedral, the seat being rotated between Birnie, Kinneddar, and Spynie.