Special milestone

Newport-on-Tay Church in north east Fife celebrated a very special milestone this year. Newport was in the old parish of Forgan and 2024 is the 900th anniversary of a church in Forgan parish. To acknowledge and celebrate this anniversary an openair service was held in the kirkyard surrounding the old ruined Forgan Church on Sunday August 18.

The original church of Forgan was founded in 1124 and the present-day ruins probably date back to the fourteenth century. The old church was beautifully situated, but rather inconvenient, being at least a couple of miles from the scattering of cottages along the shore that made up the village. By the mid-1800s its position was considered just too remote and in 1841 a new Forgan Church was opened, more conveniently sited on the Newport-Leuchars road. The old Forgan Church and churchyard are now maintained by Fife Council.

The service, on a sunny and warm morning, was led by minister, the Rev Dr Amos Chewachong, and was attended by between 50 and 60 people, ranging in age from 9 to 89. The hymns, sung unaccompanied, were chosen as ones well-known to previous generations, but also because most of them had been sung in the 800th and 850th anniversary commemoration services in the church.