Plockton church building bought by congregation

THE Highland village of Plockton will continue to have church services after a successful bid by the Free Church of Scotland to buy its own premises.

The Free Church congregation have bought their church building. Picture: TSPL

A question mark hung over the future use of the Church of Scotland building in the middle of the picturesque village – famous for the BBC’s Hamish MacBeth series – after the Kirk decided to put the Thomas Telford designed property up for sale at offers over £90,000 earlier this year.

If sold to a private developer, Plockton would have been without a church building – but the Free Church congregation has been successful with a bid of £90,100.

The Free Church had been holding services in the church for 30 years, and hope to gain entry to the property in the New Year.

Minister Rev Roddie Rankin said: “We are absolutely delighted with the news and are pleased we have been able to keep the church as a place of worship for everyone in Plockton and the surrounding areas.

“For the last three years we have been the only people using the building, and it’s great that we can finally customise and adapt it for our own use.

“We are certainly under no illusions at the amount of work required ahead, but look to the future with excitement.”

To help fund the deal, the Free Church congregation are seeking planning permission to erect two flats on what was formerly part of the old manse garden in Plockton, and hope to sell the land in the near future.

The A-listed Church of Scotland building dates from 1827 and was designed by Thomas Telford, who famously constructed the canal network in the Highlands.