Whatweretheodds? Bookiesconvertstochurch

In what is believed to be a first, a former Stirling bookies has been converted into a place of worship by an innovative church.

Once the Ladbrokes betting shop in Upper Craigs, the building is now a city centre location for Stirling Free Church of Scotland.

The fledging congregation is slowly outgrowing its present leased premises for an increasing number of midweek initiatives and the new facility has been named The Well, which picks up on the biblical theme of Jesus as the Water of Life.

Ironically it is also situated near well-known Stirling landmark St Ninian’s Well on Wellgreen Place.

Stirling Free Church minister Rev Iain MacAskill said: “We are delighted to use our new facility for reaching right into the city centre.

“Some may say that it’s a new model of church, but it’s really just taking the church back to where it started in the days of the New Testament, back to the streets.”

The irony of the betting shop is not lost on the congregation who believe that a culture of risk and loss is replaced with a message of certainties and hope.

Regular church services have been held for the last 18 months and usually meet in The Smith Art Gallery and Museum Theatre.

Mr MacAskill was appointed as minister in February 2016 having previously worked alongside church planting and revitalisation projects in North Uist and Invergordon.