New Highland church opened

A brand new church at the heart of the most westerly village in mainland Britain has been officially opened.

Ardnamurchan Church in Kilchoan was dedicated and blessed by Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, on Wednesday.

Around 60 people gathered for the “momentous and happy” occasion including representatives of other Christian denominations and the local community.

The single-story church is part of Acharacle and Ardnamurchan Parish, which now includes the whole of the Ardnamurchan peninsula.

It has a sanctuary, a standard commercial kitchen, two toilets and an audio-visual system which will be used for services within the building as well as for streaming.

Mrs Foster-Fulton said she was “honoured” to officially open the new church and spend time with the ministry team and congregation.

“The local community have taken the building to heart already and it is becoming a hub, hosting yoga, crafting and bagpipe lessons to name just a few,” she added. “The dedication service was wonderfully busy with local members, Presbytery of Lochaber guests and folk from the wider community celebrating.”

Addressing the congregation in a sermon, Mrs Foster-Fulton said doors are a symbol of a wide open welcome.

“Not gate-keeping or keeping things and people out but for drawing community in,” she added.

“Today, we gather to bless this sacred space and all who enter it.

“It sits as a beacon to folk coming from other islands – it sits at the heart of this community and will be the seat of rites of passage – baptisms, weddings and funerals.

“The breath and DNA of generations will embed itself in its stones and wood.” Parish minister, the Rev Donald McCorkindale, described the event as a joyous occasion.

“There was a wonderful sense of celebration and community at the dedication service and all really appreciated having the Moderator with us,” he added.

The building replaces the former Ardnamurchan Church which was closed for health and safety reasons in 2018 and sold.

The congregation continued to meet regularly in the local community centre while the new church was built on glebe land.

A spokesman for the General Trustees, the property-holding arm of the Church of Scotland, said: “The General Trustees were delighted to assist in land provision for the new church.”