William Wallace’s wedding venue brought back to life

The crumbling 12th-century church where William Wallace is said to have tied the knot is being restored and turned into a tourist attraction.

Work is under way to safeguard the future of Old St Kentigern’s Church where the Scottish knight is believed to have worshipped.

The church where Wallace got married is the last building the Braveheart hero would have known from the 12th century. But recently concerns have been expressed over the state of the church in Lanark, South Lanarkshire, as it has problems with cracks and water seepage.

The work is being carried out by contractors the Castle Group on behalf of South

0 The restoration project is being driven by Douglas Ritchie

Lanarkshire Council in a bid to revive the historic building.

The adjoining Grade B-listed Lockhart of Lee Mausoleum will also be repaired in preparation to re-launch them as major tourist attractions.

The works are set to take four to six weeks to complete.

The project is being driven by Douglas Ritchie, a retired structural engineer and vicechair of the Lanark Community Development Trust.

Mr Ritchie said he was delighted works had finally started. He said: “I first became involved in the project around four years ago because the church and mausoleum were at severe risk of collapse and I wanted action to secure the future for both structures, thus preventing any further deterioration of these extremely important ‘hidden gems’ of Lanark’s heritage.”

In 2016 furious French historian Bertrand Humeau hit out at the crumbling state of the important church after visiting it. He said he was appalled to see the church blocked off and disintegrating by the day.

The unsightly safety fencing that has surrounded the building will now be removed and the public will be able to access the historical site. Repair works to the Lockhart of Lee Mausoleum will include the replacement of some roof trusses, roof re-sarking and reslating.