Outlander: Scottish church popular with Outlander fans for sale and in race against time as private developers loom

The 18th-century church has been on the market since September

A Scottish church popular with fans of Outlander is at the centre of a race against time to save it from falling into the hands of private developers.

The 18th-century Old High Church in Inverness, referenced in the time travelling books by Diana Gabaldon and TV series starring Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe, is up for sale with an asking price over £150,000.

The A-Listed building on the banks of the River Ness has been on the market since September and is at the centre of a community campaign to save it and turn it into a performance, exhibition and community centre.

Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall and Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser from Outlander. A church connected to the series has gone up for sale. Picture: Starz!/Kobal/Shutterstock

Friends of the Old High Church say the "culture and history of Scotland are bled into the stones of the Old High". They want to retain it as a landmark of the Highland capital and ensure it continues as a venue for the arts and a visitor attraction for the city.

They have raised just over £8,000, which leaves them far short of the target to allow the community buyout to go ahead, with the creation of a not-for-profit 400-seat auditorium, cafe, shop and interactive family history facility.

They are, however, hopeful of securing additional funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Scottish Land Fund and the UK Community Ownership Fund to help them achieve their target.

Jean Slater, secretary of the Friends, said they remained "hopeful that in the end we will come up with the funds". She said the group also wanted to "open a dialogue" with the Church of Scotland about their ambitious plans to retain the Kirk as a community focal point.

The Old High Church in Inverness

"We hope to make it one of the 'must see' places in Inverness, with local residents and the business community involved to safeguard the building and ensure it has a living future and where the vibrancy of the Highlands can be celebrated,” she said.

"Everybody says we are losing so much of our heritage to hotels and bars and I know Inverness needs that, but it needs culture as well. We feel very strongly that we have to protect this in whichever way we can."

The hill on which the Old High Church was built is said to be the site where St Columba converted the Pictish King Brude to Christianity in 565 AD. The present building was built between 1770 and 1772 on the site of a previous medieval church. Part of the existing bell tower is thought to date back to the 14th century, however, making it one of the most historic buildings in Inverness.

Before the Battle of Culloden, on April 16, 1746, government troops were held prisoner in the church tower. In the aftermath, Jacobite soldiers from the defeated army of Bonnie Prince Charlie were dragged from the tower and executed outside. Musket ball marks are still visible in a wall by the door.

In recent years, Old High Church has become a place of pilgrimage for Outlander fans due to its connection to Culloden. It features in Outlander tourism maps and Diana Gabaldon herself has called for a community buy out.

The church was put up for sale after a union was formed between Old High Church and Inverness’s St Stephen’s Church. A vote was held and members of the congregation voted to close the Old High building.

The Church of Scotland later offered "a once-in-a-lifetime purchase opportunity for the right buyer".

A Church of Scotland spokesman said: "The Old High Church was placed on the market in September, seven months after its final service in late January. The curfew bell, which was automated a number of years ago, is understood not to be currently operational at present.

"Highland Council is not required to look after the tower or the city [old burgh] clock in future, so the new owner might have to consider maintaining these.

"The sale of any fittings in the church, such as the pews, would have to be by negotiation. Similarly, the sale of any historical artefacts would also have to be by arrangement. All artefacts have been removed for safe-keeping while the building remains closed."