John Cardno Couper, who owned Craigiebuckler estate, was the founder and early benefactor of the church.  Initially, he built an iron church known as the ‘Iron Kirkie’ at Slopefield which opened in August 1873.

Due to the steady increase in the congregation, the iron church was replaced with a permanent stone building. Mr Couper donated land from his estate for the site of the new church which opened in February 1883.

Alexander Marshall MacKenzie, the outstanding Aberdeen architect of his day, designed the present Craigiebuckler Church.  The building has a traditional east-west orientation, a nave with a central aisle and a raised chancel leading to a semi-octagonal apse at its east end.  The design looks back to the architecture of the Early Gothic period. 

Craigiebuckler’s bells were recast from the bell metal of Auld Laurie cast in 1351, Aberdeen’s town bell which hung in St. Nicholas’ steeple.  The steeple and bell were destroyed by fire in 1874. 

As the development of the Seafield area began in the 1950’s, the congregation grew in size. In response to this, the church underwent major interior improvements, including opening up of the chancel area by relocation of the pulpit to the side, as well as new choir and elder’s stalls, a new communion table and the painting of the interior for the first time since 1883.

The present vestry and church office was added in 1965, the old vestry being used to house the works of the organ, which was rebuilt and extended in 1968.