Thanks to a Lottery grant from Awards for All, they were able to call in specialists from Glasgow University's Department of Archaeology.

Using ground penetrating radar, they were able to carry out a geophysical survey of Dunnichen church and are due to report back in two weeks time.

A spokesperson for the Society explained the survey went very well and that they were now waiting for the results to be collated by the University team.

She said the ground floor of the church was methodically marked out to form a grid, with each section being surveyed.

"It was very interesting. The floor was very carefully measured out which took a great deal of time.

"It is reckoned the actual floor area of the original church would have been smaller than what we have at present."

Members of the Society are hoping to have a report by May 10 - another important date as members of the Tay Valley Family History Society will visit Dunnichen to take down details of all the inscriptions on every gravestone.

They also hope the survey from the researchers at Glasgow University will discover signs of people who were interred under the floor of the church in medieval times.

The Dunnichen Heritage Society was formed last autumn to bring people together to explore and record the rich history of Dunnichen.

They hope to highlight the importance of the church within this history, and to raise public awareness of Dunnichen as a centre of historic value.

Dunnichen Church is the third church on the site which can be dated back to the 12th century.

It is the only public building remaining which commemorates George Dempster, who founded the village of Letham.

The communion table in the church is also worthy of note as it features two plaques which commemorate the men from the Parish of Dunnichen who were killed in the great war and the second world war.

The table is listed on the inventory of War Museums at the Imperial War Museum in Lambeth Road, London.